Cancer clinical trials have become prevalent in recent times. Research shows that oncology comprises approximately 1/3rd of the developmental projects in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. This has led researchers and medical practitioners to test the scope of EDC in oncology clinical trials.
The hurdle here is obvious. While oncology projects aren’t anything new to the therapeutic field, they do still tend to create unique challenges in clinical data management, which also consequentially gives rise to the opportunity of testing new methods and technologies.
What is EDC?
EDC or electronic data capture is software that collects data that is collected in clinical trials. EDC in clinical trials have become fairly common, owing to their many benefits, as discussed below.
Easier Access to Data
Save time spent on query management with real-time access to data, which is consequentially faster.
Data Security
The system is such that the data is backed up and protected, mitigating chances of a privacy breach, which is an important element in any clinical trials.
Accuracy
Given the sensitive nature of cancer patient data, accuracy is of utmost importance. EDC systems do help improve the quality of data for more reliable results.
Organization
Given how widespread cancer is as a disease, data organization is very important for oncology clinical trials.
EDC in Oncology Trials
The protocols that are required for phase 3 oncology clinical trials are approximately 16% longer than other drugs, which makes the simplification of the study design in oncology trials very important. With the flexibility that EDC systems provide, teams can easily design the study they require for their purpose.
Oncology trials are long, tedious and exhausting. Naturally, this makes for more complicated CRFs (case report forms). EDC in oncology clinical trials is able to address and tackle these complexities by simplifying patient visits and the forms that are created. Since precision is also of immense importance, EDC in Oncology clinical trials is a major advantage as well.
Additionally, there are several challenges in patient recruitment and retention when it comes to oncology clinical trials. Given the urgency of a cancer patient’s condition, even in the earlier phases, the efficacy of treatment in the trials becomes even more crucial. Normally, researchers won’t be able to establish the success of a dose until after the end of data collection. However, adaptive EDC designs make this easier, allowing researchers to modify the dosage sooner, improving the chances of efficacy.
Best EDC System for Clinical Trials
When we talk of the scope of EDC in clinical trials, it becomes even more important for the researcher to have the right EDC tools to be used in clinical trials.
In order to reap the benefits, you need to ensure that you have the right EDC system for the task at hand. Choosing the right EDC software system will help dictate whether you would be able to keep up with the fast and ever-evolving pace of the field of oncology.
