Ethics Study to Understand the Views of Cancer Patients Regarding Financial Conflicts of Interest in Research

This study seeks to inform deliberation of ethical issues related to financial conflicts of interest in clinical research through empirical data obtained from patients participating in cancer studies. In particular, this study endeavors to describe and summarize the views of patients about both individual and institutional financial conflicts of interest pertaining to clinical research. This study will assess awareness of financial conflicts of interest and the current safeguards in place to manage financial ties; assess the impact of hypothetical financial conflicts of interest on a research subject's decision to participate in a clinical study; identify the reasons that financial conflicts of interest either do or do not influence patients' research participation; summarize views regarding the presence of financial conflicts of interest and what limits should be in place to manage them; identify interests about disclosure of these financial conflicts of interest; describe demographic characteristics of subjects enrolled in the survey and evaluate the impact of demographic information on subjects' views regarding financial conflicts of interest. Participants will be recruited from all phases of oncology studies being conducted at 5 sites, the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD; the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA; the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA; the University of Colorado Cancer Center in Denver, CO, and the Columbia University Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York, NY. The primary methodology for the study is an in-person administration of a questionnaire.