Ethical issues in non-intervention trials for thyroid cancer

Publication date: Available online 16 March 2017
Source:European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO)
Author(s): P. Angelos, D.M. Hartl, J.P. Shah, I.J. Nixon, R.P. Owen, A. Rinaldo, J.P. Rodrigo, A.R. Shaha, C.E. Silver, C. Suárez, A. Ferlito
In recent years, the increasing numbers of small, apparently indolent thyroid cancers diagnosed in the world have encouraged investigators to consider non-intervention as an alternative to surgical management. In the following pages, the prospect of a non-intervention trial for thyroid cancer is considered with attention to the ethical issues that such a trial might raise. Such a non-intervention trial is analyzed relative to 7 ethical considerations: the social or scientific value of the research, the scientific validity of the trial, the necessity of fair selection of participants, a favorable risk-benefit ratio for trial participants, independent review of the trial, informed consent, and allowing the study participants to withdraw from the trial. A non-intervention trial for thyroid cancer is also considered relative to the central concept of equipoise.



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