Omar Abdihamid: Randomised Phase 3 Cancer Trials According to Principles Proposed by Common-Sense Oncology

Omar Abdihamid, Clinical Oncology Specialist at HCGCCK Cancer Centre, recently shared on LinkedIn:

“New Publication Alert!

Thrilled to share my Common Sense Oncology Cancer research fellowship work in Canada at Queen’s University now published in the European Journal of Cancer: 1 year in the making.

Thanks Bishal Gyawali and Prof Ian Tannock and Brian Shkabari.

What we did:

1. Reviewed 50 recent phase III cancer trials (solid tumors) published in top journals.
2. Assessed them against ‘common sense oncology’ principles: Are they transparent? Patient-centred? Methodologically sound?

What we found:

1. Many trials don’t fully justify control arms or endpoints.
2. Only about 1 in 3 include quality-of-life outcomes.
3. Few trials report chronic toxicity, cost, or patient-reported outcomes.

Why it matters:

Even high-impact RCTs risk overlooking what matters most to patients and clinicians. This work highlights the urgent need for more transparent, rigorous, and patient-centred cancer research.

Let’s ensure our cancer trials go beyond p-values – and truly inform practice.”

Title: Adherence of published randomised Phase 3 cancer trials to principles proposed by common-sense oncology

Authors: Omar Abdihamid, Bishal Gyawali, Christopher M. Booth, Elizabeth A. Eisenhauer, Wilma M. Hopman, Brian Shkabari, Dario Trapani, Haydee C. Verduzco-Aguirre, Brooke E. Wilson, Ian F. Tannock

Read the Full Article in European Journal of Cancer.

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