Financial conflicts of interest involving general and industry research payments may be prevalent and of high value among authors of clinical practice guidelines, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology.1

Researchers examined financial conflicts of interest among 125 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) physician members of the guideline committees for lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer, throughout the year 2014.

The study’s aim was to determine the proportion of NCCN authors who had financial conflicts of interest, as well as the average amount that was received from industry sources.


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Among the observed authors, 108 were found to have at least 1 reported financial conflict of interest, receiving an average of $10,011 in general payments such as meals, consulting and lodging, as well as an average of $236,066 in industry research payments, which included funding associated with clinical trials.

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About 84% received general payments, while 47% received research payments, with 8 authors who had financial conflicts of interest that exceeded the $50,000 net, or $20,000 single-company maximums, as per NCCN guidelines.

Reference

  1. Mitchell AP, Basch EM, Dusetzina SB. Financial relationships with industry among National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline authors. JAMA Oncol. 2016 Aug 25. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.2710 [Epub ahead of print]