Gilberto Lopes, Chief of the Division of Medical Oncology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, shared on LinkedIn:
“Are patients unwilling to participate in cancer clinical trials—or are we failing to give them the opportunity?
An interesting new pilot study in JCO Global Oncology by Arce-Ruiz, Bruna Pellini, and colleagues at Moffitt Cancer Center addresses underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic/Latino patients in thoracic oncology research.
Investigators developed three brief, culturally and linguistically tailored educational videos about clinical trials in English and Spanish. Thirty patients participated.
Results:
- Knowledge improved significantly (P<0.001).
- Willingness to participate increased from 73% to 86%.
- More than 90% reported high satisfaction.
- Within one year, 17 participants had a therapeutic clinical trial available; eight enrolled.
That last finding is particularly important.
Nearly half of patients with an available trial enrolled. Yet only 17 of 30 had such an opportunity during follow-up. Barriers included trial availability, eligibility requirements, delayed activation, and closures.
Education and trust matter, as does acknowledging historical research injustices and communicating in patients’ preferred languages. But education cannot compensate for the absence of an accessible trial.
We also need to examine how research institutions organize clinical trials.
Are we screening every potentially eligible patient? Are trial opportunities offered equitably? Do language, insurance, transportation, or referrals influence who is offered a trial? Are trials activated rapidly enough? Are we measuring missed opportunities—not merely total enrollment?
This was an uncontrolled, single-center pilot with only 30 participants. It does not establish that education caused subsequent enrollment.
Still, it suggests a practical direction: combine culturally appropriate education with proactive matching, navigation, efficient activation, and systematic measurement of barriers.
The responsibility cannot rest solely with patients.
Equitable participation requires institutions to create equitable opportunities.
Congratulations to the investigators.”
Title: Minority Patient–Centered Education Initiative to Increase Knowledge About Clinical Trials: A Pilot Study
Authors: Keishla Arce-Ruiz, Tadana A. Vázquez-Rothschuh, Steven K. Sutton, Avani M. Singh, Jenifer Ryan, Ashley Oates, Anahid Aminpour, Rebecca Blackwell, Glenda Vaillant Cruz, Carley Geiss, Andreas Saltos, Alberto A. Chiappori, Tawee Tanvetyanon, B. Lee Green, Shannon M. Christy, Jhanelle E. Gray, Vani N. Simmons, Bruna Pellini
Read the Full Article on JCO Global Oncology
Other posts featuring Gilberto Lopes on OncoDaily.