The mission of the 20BY25 campaign is to educate cancer patients and their families about the value of cancer clinical trials , eliminate the fear about participation , and engage healthcare providers and community organizations in order to facilitate access and encourage enrollment to reduce the burden of cancer and move One Step Closer to cure .
“ The University of Hawai ‘ i Cancer Center is unique in Hawai ‘ i . No one else provides the comprehensive access to clinical trials that our network provides . It is critical that we ensure that the people of this state receive the highest quality of cancer care . Community engagement is a priority in order to achieve the mission ,” said Randall Holcombe , MD , MBA , UH Cancer Center director .
Nationally , 75 percent of children with cancer are enrolled on a clinical trial . It is the standard of care . However , nationally , only two to three percent of adults with cancer are enrolled on a clinical trial . This is due to many factors – a lack of knowledge and fear by patients and a lack of engagement by providers and healthcare organizations . Also , more than 95 percent of patients participating are White .
20By25 indicates the goal to achieve enrollment to clinical trials of 20 percent of individuals diagnosed with cancer each year by 2025 . In Hawai ‘ i there are about 6,500 new cancer cases each year . Therefore , the goal is to enroll 1,300 patients per year onto a cancer clinical trial .
“ Cancer patients should know that clinical trials provide the highest quality of care for patients because there is closer supervision and monitoring than with standard care . Patients always receive equal to or better than the standard of care , and patients have access to novel drugs or drug combinations that may improve the response to treatment , increase the chance of cure and prolong survival ,” said Rhee . “ With the correct information cancer patients can be empowered to be their own advocates .”
“ These deficiencies can be addressed in Hawai ‘ i through education . Some may not be aware that today ’ s ‘ standard ’ treatment was a clinical trial five to 10 years ago , and today ’ s clinical trial will be standard care five to 10 years from now ,” said Jessica Rhee , MD , MS , Clinical Trials Office medical director .
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