Patients' Expectations About the Survival Benefits of Cancer Drugs Approved Based on Progression-Free Survival: a Randomized Controlled Trial
London School of Economics and Political Science
Summary
This study of current or former cancer patients will evaluate whether communicating data on overall survival data in addition to information on progression-free improves the accuracy of cancer patients' expectations about the survival benefits of new cancer drugs
Description
Progression-free survival (PFS) (the time until a tumour grows, spreads, or the patient dies) is among the most common outcomes supporting the approval of new cancer drugs. Likely owing to similar terminology and the use of the word 'survival', patients often confuse PFS with overall survival, which may lead to treatment decisions that are not aligned with patients' individual preferences. Alternative descriptions of PFS that acknowledge the absence of a survival benefit may improve understanding. This randomized controlled trial will evaluate whether communicating data on overall survival da…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * US adults with a current or former cancer diagnosis (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) * US adults 18 years of age and older, fluent in English, and residing in the United States. Exclusion Criteria: * Adults who do not have a former cancer diagnosis or who were diagnosed with nonmelanoma skin cancer; adults who complete the survey in under 150 seconds, and who do not meet the other inclusion criteria.
Interventions
- OtherFDA explanation for progression-free survival (control)
Progression-free survival
- OtherFDA explanation for progression-free survival with overall survival data
The description, 'progression-free survival', along with data on overall survival.
- OtherNCI explanation for progression-free survival
The description, 'the length of time during and after treatment that a patient lived with the cancer but it did not get worse'.
- OtherNCI explanation for progression-free survival with overall survival data
The description, 'the length of time during and after treatment that a patient lived with the cancer but it did not get worse', along with data on overall survival.
- OtherPlain-language explanation of progression-free survival
The description, 'the length of time until a test showed the cancer grew, spread, or worsened'.
Location
- Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care InstituteBoston, Massachusetts