Cancer Clinical Trials — A Chronic but Curable Crisis

In April, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a comprehensive review of the clinical trials program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), in which it concluded that “the system for conducting clinical trials in the United States is approaching a state of crisis.”1 The report, which was commissioned by the National Cancer Institute, drew the attention of the New York Times, which published an editorial on April 25 highlighting cumbersome procedures, excessive bureaucracy, poor coordination, and failure to complete 40% of the trials.2 On May 5, during hearings of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which holds jurisdiction over funding for the . . .