Informed Consent in Pediatric Phase I Cancer Trials
Background:
- The clinical course and poor prognosis of children and adolescents eligible for
pediatric phase I trials may increase the vulnerability of patients and their families
and confound informed consent
- Physicians report a tension between presenting reasonable options and a truthful
prognosis while maintaining hope.
- Research on the communication and decisions regarding participation in pediatric phase
I trial is needed.
Objectives:
- The primary objective of this study is to understand communication, comprehension, and
decision-making in Phase I childhood cancer trials (Specific Aim 1) by examining:
- The way that phase I pediatric trials are presented (Aim 1 Hypothesis 1)
- Whether and how alternatives (such as hospice) are introduced (Aim 1 Hypothesis 2)
- What parents and children older than 14 years understand after the consent
discussion (Aim 1 Hypothesis 3)
- How the communication process influences parental comprehension and
decision-making regarding participation of their child in a phase I study (Aim 1
Hypothesis 4)
- How clinician-investigator perspectives may vary from that of the parent of a
child participating in a phase I study (Aim 1 Hypothesis 5)
- Compare Phase I vs. Phase III pediatric cancer informed consent (Specific Aim 2)
regarding:
- Parental understanding of the scientific goals of the trial (Aim 2 Hypothesis 1)
- Trust, decision making preferences, strength of recommendation by investigators
interactivity as measured by number of parental questions, reasons for decisions,
child's involvement, reading consent document, parental understanding of choice
and trial design/purpose, disclosure of prognosis (Aim 2 Hypothesis 1-9)
- Develop suggestions for interventions to improve informed consent in Phase I
pediatric cancer trials through Parent Advisory Group on Informed Consent
(PAGIC).(Specific Aim 3)
Eligibility:
- Parents or guardians of children and adolescents considering enrollment on Phase I
Trials of anti-cancer agents, gene transfer or vaccine studies are eligible if the
child or adolescent is less than 22yrs with diagnosed with a recurrent or refractory
malignant solid tumor or leukemia.
- Participants must speak English or Spanish.
- Parents or guardians of children or adolescents who are newly diagnosed with cancer or
previously participated in informed consent research are excluded.
- In addition, we plan to interview a smaller number of patients who are 14-21 years of
age and who have participated in an informed consent conference for a Phase I cancer
trial.
Design:
- Parents (n=132) of children or adolescents (age less than or equal to 21 years) who are
being offered participation in a Phase I clinical trial for cancer will be sequentially
recruited.
- The methods will include direct observation, digital recording of ICC, and
questionnaires of parent/guardian, patients, and health care team members. Research
Assistants (RAs) will be trained to observe and record all interactions between
families and clinicians that relate to the Phase I clinical trial. Children over 14
years old will be interviewed using a separate instrument
- Data will be analyzed by quantitative and qualitative analytic methods. To assure 120
cases for analysis, the total accrual is 132 cases at six institutions, up to 100 will
be accrued at the NCI.
Observational
Time Perspective: Prospective
United States: Federal Government
090052
NCT00923650
December 2008
February 2010
Name | Location |
---|---|
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike | Bethesda, Maryland 20892 |
Cleveland Clinic Foundation Childrens Hospital | Cleveland, Ohio 44195 |