Patient Support Groups Identifying Clinical Equipoise in UK Gynaecological Oncology Surgeons as the Basis for Trials in Ultraradical Surgery for Advanced Ovarian Cancer

Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2016 Jan;26(1):91-4. doi: 10.1097/IGC.0000000000000565.

Abstract

"Clinical equipoise" is defined as the genuine uncertainty by the expert medical community of the most beneficial treatment. A survey performed in 2013 by a patient support group, Ovacome, of gynaecological oncologists in the UK on ultra-radical surgery in advanced ovarian cancer has shown that there is a wide variation in surgical practice across the country. In addition, there were mixed views on the quality of published evidence justifying it's performance, signifying a state of clinical equipoise. The survey also identified widespread insufficient infra-structural resources and lack of surgical training and skills. The majority of respondents would be prepared to undertake additional training to acquire the surgical skills and/or refer to other centres/surgeons already performing the surgery and/or recruit to surgical trials investigating ultra-radical surgery in advanced ovarian cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Clinical Trials as Topic / ethics*
  • Data Collection
  • Female
  • Gynecologic Surgical Procedures
  • Humans
  • Medical Oncology*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians'*
  • Self-Help Groups*
  • Surgeons
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Therapeutic Equipoise*