Dr Giles on the Importance of Shared Decision Making When Managing GU Cancers

Rachel Giles, MD, PhD, associate professor, Internal Medicine, the University Medical Center Utrech, chair, International Kidney Cancer Coalition (IKCC), discusses the importance of incorporating shared decision making in the treatment of patients with genitourinary (GU) cancers.

Following the 2024 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, an event sponsored by the IKCC will focus on the importance of integrating patient advocacy into oncology treatment decisions. The substantial impact of involving patients in research endeavors cannot be overstated, and patient involvement can elevate the quality of an oncologist’s work, Giles begins. This perspective is often overlooked by many oncology professionals, but the inclusion of patients in the trial design process can be transformative, she explains. Patients' insights can clarify intricate details of clinical trials that they might otherwise find challenging, leading to noticeable improvements in clinical trial accrual and retention rates, Giles elucidates.

One notable example highlighting the tangible outcomes of patient involvement in clinical research is a randomized controlled trial led by Ethan Basch, MD, MSc, of the University of North Caroline Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, she expands. In this study, patients with cancer undergoing standard chemotherapy were randomly assigned to an arm where they received a support system that included iPads for symptom reporting or an arm where they did not receive this type of support, Giles sates. The result was a remarkable overall survival benefit for the patients who were invited to report their symptoms, showcasing the real-world impact of integrating patients into the research process, she adds. Armed with such patient-reported information, oncologists gain the ability to influence the establishment of comprehensive cancer centers and refine their approaches to patient-centric research, Giles emphasizes.

It is essential to recognize the diversity of individual oncologists’ goals for incorporating the patient voice into research and clinical practice and understand that these goals may not align uniformly with each other, she continues. By providing ample support, information, and knowledge, this IKCC-sponsored event aims to equip oncology professionals with the tools to effectively communicate with their professionals communities, such as the board of directors at their hospitals, contributing to an enhanced treatment experience for patients, she concludes.