Adrian Lee, Director of the Institute for Precision Medicine at UPMC, Professor at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and at the University of Pittsburgh, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Most of the progress we’ve made against breast cancer mortality – decades of it – traces back to clinical trials. As someone who studies breast cancer development and progression, particularly resistance to therapy, that’s not an abstract fact. It’s the entire reason the work matters.
Which is why the question of who participates in trials – and who doesn’t – is so important. Why don’t more women enroll? It’s not a lack of interest. It’s a lack of trust, access, and the right conversation.
UPMC Center for Connected Medicine just released research that makes this concrete. Surveying 400 women across the U.S., CCM and AMG Research identified the barriers most responsible for lower enrollment – and the levers most likely to move the needle.
- Clinicians carry enormous influence – and responsibility. HCPs are the most trusted source of both awareness and reassurance, regardless of prior trial experience.
- Logistics are quietly killing enrollment. Time, travel, and visit burden cause drop-off even among women who are interested. Decentralized options could change this for roughly half of respondents.
- Clear, honest communication about side effects matters more than almost anything else. Fear is the top barrier – and the antidote is straightforward: education from trusted sources.
The good news? Interest builds with experience. Once women participate, most want to do it again. The challenge is getting to that first enrollment.
Well worth a read for anyone working in clinical research, precision medicine, or health equity.”
Other articles featuring Adrian Lee on OncoDaily.