Acceptability of cancer chemoprevention trials: impact of the design [Abstract]

Anne-Sophie Maisonneuve^{1, 2}, Laetitia Huiart^{1, 2}, Laetitia Rabayrol^{1, 2}, Doug Horsman³, Remi Didelot⁴, Hagay Sobol^{1, 2}, Francois Eisinger^{1, 2, 3 ✉}

1. Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Department of Oncogenetics Prevention and Screening Marseille France (FE, ASM, LH, LR, HS)
2. INSERM U 599, Marseille France (FE, ASM, LH, LR, HS)
3. Hereditary Cancer Program British Colombia Cancer Agency (FE, DH)
4. Local Administration of the National Health Insurance System – “Centre d'Examen de Sante (CESAM 13) ” Marseille France (RD)

Background: Chemoprevention could significantly reduce cancer burden. Assessment of efficacy and risk/benefit balance is at best achieved through randomized clinical trials.

Methods: At a periodic health examination center 1463 adults were asked to complete a questionnaire about their willingness to be involved in different kinds of preventive clinical trials.

Results: Among the 851 respondents (58.2%), 228 (26.8%) agreed to participate in a hypothetical chemoprevention trial aimed at reducing the incidence of lung cancer and 116 (29.3%) of 396 women agreed to a breast cancer chemoprevention trial. Randomization would not restrain participation (acceptability rate: 87.7% for lung cancer and 93.0% for breast cancer). In these volunteers, short-term trials (1 year) reached a high level of acceptability: 71.5% and 73.7% for lung and breast cancer prevention respectively. In contrast long-term trials (5 years or more) were far less acceptable: 9.2% for lung cancer (OR=7.7 CI_95% 4.4-14.0) and 10.5 % for breast cancer (OR=6.9 CI_95% 3.2-15.8). For lung cancer prevention, the route of administration impacts on acceptability with higher rate 53.1% for a pill vs. 7.9% for a spray (OR=6.7 CI_95% 3.6-12.9).

Conclusion: Overall healthy individuals are not keen to be involved in chemo-preventive trials, the design of which could however increase the acceptability rate.

Keywords: Research Design, Randomized Controlled Trials, Behavior, Attitude, Preventive Health Services, Prevention & Control, Neoplasms, Breast, Lung

How to cite this article:
Maisonneuve AS, Huiart L, Rabayrol L, Horsman D, Didelot R, Sobol H, Eisinger F. Acceptability of cancer chemoprevention trials: impact of the design. Int J Med Sci 2008; 5:244-247. Available from http://www.medsci.org/v05p0244.htm