PBS News Weekend

Last year, there were an estimated 1.7 million new cases of cancer diagnosed in the United States, and almost 600,000 people died from the disease, according to National Cancer Institute, making cancer the second leading cause of death in the nation. But fewer than 5 percent of American cancer patients participate in a key part of the research for a cure -- clinical trials testing new cancer treatments. NewsHour Weekend's Christopher Booker reports on efforts by researchers to improve that low participation rate in cancer trials and to improve data sharing by doctors, all in the hope of extending and saving lives.