A new report from the COMPPARE study has been published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (the Red Journal).
“Can Engagement Aid in Design and Accrual on Clinical Trials? Observations from COMPPARE – A Prospective Comparison of Outcomes with Proton and Photon Radiation in Prostate Cancer,” examines how patient input helped guide the design of COMPPARE and contributed to the study’s successful accrual.
Launched in 2017, COMPPARE (Prospective COMparative Study of Outcomes with Proton and Photon RAdiation in PRostate CancEr) and funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the study was designed to compare outcomes important to prostate cancer patients, including quality of life, treatment side effects and disease control.
Clinical trial enrollment can be challenging, particularly for studies comparing proton and photon radiation therapy. Before designing COMPPARE, investigators therefore sought input from patients about the outcomes they considered most important and the types of study designs in which they would be willing to participate. The new report examines whether that engagement strategy ultimately translated into successful enrollment.