Stmc-23. ethical perspectives on unproven stem cell transplants in neuro-oncological disease

The application of stem cell transplants in clinical practice has become increasingly common, and many neurological diseases, including malignant brain tumors, are being targeted for intervention with stem cell transplants. The transplant procedures currently being carried out are frequently unregulated and may endanger patients. In most cases, patients undergoing such operations are not included in a clinical trial, and often do not provide genuinely informed consent. We performed a systematic search of the PubMed database to identify articles that referenced the use of the ethics of stem cell transplants in the treatment of neurooncological disease. Few recent articles have been written from a neurosurgical perspective on the ethics of stem cell transplants, despite the fact that many unproven stem cell transplants are currently being carried out by neurosurgeons. There are many relevant ethical issues at hand when discussing stem cell transplants, which include regulatory oversight, data sharing, the nature of investigation (e.g., clinical trial vs. non-trial), informed consent, risk-benefit ratios and the therapeutic misconception, and patient vulnerability. Unproven stem cell therapies for neurooncological disease are currently being offered outside the structure of well-designed clinical trials. Some of these therapies may be ethically dubious, and could jeopardize progress in the field. Here, we provide a series of discussion points for neurosurgeons to consider as the...
Source: Neuro-Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: STEM CELLS Source Type: research