Modern clinical research: How rapid learning health care and cohort multiple randomised clinical trials complement traditional evidence based medicine

Philippe Lambin*, Jaap Zindler, Ben Vanneste, Lien Van De Voorde, Maria Jacobs, Danielle Eekers, Jurgen Peerlings, Bart Reymen, Ruben T. H. M. Larue, Timo M. Deist, Evelyn E. C. De Jong, Aniek J. G. Even, Adriana J. Berlanga, Erik Roelofs, Qing Cheng, Sara Carvalho, Ralph T. H. Leijenaar, Catharina M. L. Zegers, Evert Van Limbergen, Maaike BerbeeWouter Van Elmpt, Cary Oberije, Ruud Houben, Andre Dekker, Liesbeth Boersma, Frank Verhaegen, Geert Bosmans, Frank Hoebers, Kim Smits, Sean Walsh

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

Background. Trials are vital in informing routine clinical care; however, current designs have major deficiencies. An overview of the various challenges that face modern clinical research and the methods that can be exploited to solve these challenges, in the context of personalised cancer treatment in the 21st century is provided.Aim. The purpose of this manuscript, without intending to be comprehensive, is to spark thought whilst presenting and discussing two important and complementary alternatives to traditional evidence-based medicine, specifically rapid learning health care and cohort multiple randomised controlled trial design. Rapid learning health care is an approach that proposes to extract and apply knowledge from routine clinical care data rather than exclusively depending on clinical trial evidence, (please watch the animation: http://youtu.be/ZDJFOxpwqEA). The cohort multiple randomised controlled trial design is a pragmatic method which has been proposed to help overcome the weaknesses of conventional randomised trials, taking advantage of the standardised follow-up approaches more and more used in routine patient care. This approach is particularly useful when the new intervention is a priori attractive for the patient (i.e. proton therapy, patient decision aids or expensive medications), when the outcomes are easily collected, and when there is no need of a placebo arm.Discussion. Truly personalised cancer treatment is the goal in modern radiotherapy. However, personalised cancer treatment is also an immense challenge. The vast variety of both cancer patients and treatment options makes it extremely difficult to determine which decisions are optimal for the individual patient. Nevertheless, rapid learning health care and cohort multiple randomised controlled trial design are two approaches (among others) that can help meet this challenge.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1289-1300
JournalActa Oncologica
Volume54
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Oct 2015

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