Research Information System
Acta Neurologica Belgica, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Purpose: Gliomas are rare, aggressive CNS tumors with poor prognosis, and clinical trials are essential for access to novel therapies. We assessed cross-country disparities in glioma trial activity within the WHO European Region and compared patterns with lung cancer trials. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional search of ClinicalTrials.gov for glioma trials involving WHO European Region countries. Eight countries representing contrasting trial patterns were analyzed (France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Turkey). Trial access was standardized by estimated annual incident cases using country-specific incidence rates and population. Lung cancer trials were analyzed in parallel. Temporal trends and associations with gross national income (GNI) per capita and human development index (HDI) were also evaluated. Results: Of 3,292 glioma trials registered globally, 1,058 involved at least one WHO European Region country; 640 included at least one selected country. France, Germany, and Italy had the highest trial volume and growth since 2004, whereas Turkey, Hungary, and Greece remained consistently low. After adjustment for estimated annual glioma cases, Denmark, France, and Germany showed the highest trial access. Glioma trial access correlated with GNI per capita (ρ = 0.76, p = 0.028) but not with HDI (ρ = 0.69, p = 0.058). Lung cancer trials were more numerous and showed no association with GNI per capita or HDI. Several countries demonstrated marked discordance, with minimal glioma trial activity despite considerable lung cancer trial volumes. Conclusion: Glioma clinical trial access across Europe is highly uneven in contrast to lung cancer trials. Targeted capacity-building strategies to promote equitable access to glioma research is needed.