New global initiative advocates for independent academic clinical cancer trials

Independent, academic clinical cancer trials are essential to improving patient outcomes, reducing inequalities in care, and strengthening healthcare systems worldwide, according to a new initiative published in The Lancet Oncology.

The paper, "Academic clinical cancer trials to improve patient outcomes", announces the launch of a Lancet Oncology Commission examining the role, relevance, and challenges of academic clinical cancer research in today's geopolitical and economic context.

What are academic clinical cancer trials?

Academic clinical trials are studies designed and led by doctors and researchers working in universities, hospitals, and public or non-profit research organisations. Unlike industry-led trials conducted for licensing new agents, academic trials focus on answering questions of direct relevance to patient management and care in healthcare systems—for example, how best to use existing treatments, which patients benefit most, how to reduce side-effects, and how to improve long-term outcomes and quality of life. The Lancet Oncology Commission arises as concrete result of a global coalition of 35 clinical investigators and patient representatives from Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America, who convened in March 2026, and was coordinated by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). The primary objective of the meeting was to address the value and need of global collaboration on clinical trials that acknowledge global patient centric questions.

"Independent academic cancer clinical trials are a public good," said Denis Lacombe, EORTC CEO "They generate the evidence needed to optimise cancer care, beyond commercial priorities, and are essential to building resilient healthcare systems where research is embedded in routine care."

We all agreed we need new models of global collaboration that preserve academic independence while enabling efficient, high-quality international trials."

Winette van der Graaf, EORTC President

Participants in the coalition highlighted increasing challenges facing academic research, including regulatory complexity, limited public funding, and the need for new models of international collaboration. The initiative aligns with global efforts such as the WHO Global Clinical Trials Forum to support coordinated research across countries. This global collaboration aims to deliver actionable recommendations to ensure academic, cancer clinical trials continue to benefit patients and society worldwide.