Attitude of patients with liver cancer toward clinical drug trials: Empirical Qualitative Research

Aims To explore the attitude of patients with liver cancer toward clinical drug trials and promote the development of clinical drug trials in patients with liver cancer. Design: Qualitative study Methods In this study conducted in a tertiary hospital, we conducted in-depth interviews in 19 patients with liver cancer, including those who were: 1. diagnosed with primary liver cancer according to the “Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer (2022 Edition)”; 2. without cognitive or language impairment and were able to express their thoughts; and 3. willing to participate in the study and provided written informed consent. We excluded those with serious physical diseases or other malignant tumors and mental disorders. The attitudes of patients with liver cancer toward clinical drug trials were evaluated along with the awareness of clinical drug trials and factors affecting their participation in order to promote the development of clinical drug trials for this population. Results We summarized the attitude of patients to clinical drug trials into two themes. The first involved differences in patients' awareness of clinical drug trials, which comprised lack of awareness, doubts and worries, blind trust in authoritative sources, and rational participation. The second highlighted factors influencing participation in clinical drug trials, which included: 1. positive factors such as a doctor’s recommendation, expectations, peer effect, economic burden, desire to contribute to medical research, and family support, and 2. negative factors consisting of the side effects of drugs, drug safety, and problems guaranteeing patients’ rights and interests. Conclusion There were differences in the attitudes of liver cancer patients toward clinical drug trials. Implications for the Profession and Patient Care: Researchers should improve the awareness of liver cancer patients with regard to clinical drug trials and understand the factors that affect their participation. Patient or public contribution : The patients had no contributions in the design or conduct of the study, analysis or interpretation of the data, or in the preparation of the manuscript