NCI website aids cancer trial recruitment

An online tool lets cancer researchers collaborate and commiserate on subject recruitment. Much of the accumulated knowledge on cancer trial recruitment is scattered among those who have conducted the trials. Some appears in literature.

AccrualNet, developed by the National Cancer Institute and unveiled at the recent Cancer Trial Accrual Symposium, functions as an aggregator of this knowledge and makes it accessible to the cancer research community. The goals of the site are to increase knowledge about the processes needed for success in clinical trial accrual, and to encourage use of available resources. The site and the project that led to it are described in a recent NCI Cancer Bulletin special issue devoted to trials enrollment.

The developers have created a community of practice, to which visitors contribute materials, tips, experience, and practices. An annotated list of journal articles on trial recruitment and links to relevant publications are included, as well as tools to aid recruitment efforts.

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