The other day, I read about how a number of well paid employees of the Securities and Exchange Commission have been spending their working hours. It was a big disappointment to say the least.
An editorial in today’s New York Times shares information about government funded clinical trials for cancer treatments. Keep in mind how critical these studies are for a number of reasons. I don’t need to remind you of the incidence of cancer in our culture and the emotional toll it takes. The NIH trials should provide unbiased information to guide patients and doctors when choosing treatment options.
Apparently, it takes an average of 2 1/2 years to navigate the cumbersome, bureaucratic system system to gain approval for a clinical trial. “A typical trial must navigate past dozens of overlapping reviews by different boards and agencies that must approve the original concept of the trial and then the protocol that will govern how it is conducted before the investigators can start enrolling patients” A second challenge is that the investigators may not be paid for the full cost of the study.
Dr. John Mendelsohn of the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston offered some suggestions. I’m on board with setting deadlines for each step in the process. Giving them more money?? Should we continue to reward less than optimal results?
Why do I talk about these situations in the same breath? It’s OUR money. While millions of people are struggling to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads, our tax dollars are being squandered. Remember that word??
Check out Faltering Cancer Trials
