Monitoring Clinical Trial Accrual by Gender, Race and Ethnicity

Clinical studies are crucial to advancing science across the cancer care continuum, from prevention to survivorship. Broad inclusion of diverse people in clinical studies is essential to assuring that emerging cancer care standards for prevention, diagnosis and treatment are equally effective for all sectors of society.

Although federal mandates require sufficient representation of minorities in study samples, there continues to be nationwide disparity in the representation of racial and ethnic minorities and other groups in clinical studies. Factors that contribute to this disparity are well-documented and complex, including patient factors and broad community and societal factors.

Broad inclusion of diverse people in clinical studies is a priority of the Siteman Cancer Center. PECaD’s Clinical Study Accrual Monitoring/Clinical Studies Outreach (CSO) Program coordinates this effort. Investigators are highlighted in PECaD’s quarterly newsletter.

CSO Program Goals:

• Increase minority recruitment through active interventions and monitoring.
• Increase minority participation until participation rates mirror the incidence rates for individual cancers.
• Equalize Siteman patient demographics with those of the service region.

The CSO team promotes diversity in clinical trials through accrual monitoring, patient and provider education, and community outreach. The CSO is led by the SCC Director of Diversity and Inclusion in Clinical Research, Dr. Lannis Hall, a radiation oncologist with more than 15 years of experience providing clinical trial education in community settings. All CSO members are also IAB members. Dr. Drake and Dr. Jeff Michalski are also part of CSO.

In collaboration with the CAB, CSO provides education on the importance of clinical trial participation to SCC patients and the broader community. Internally, CSO provides resources, such as training and participant feedback sessions, to investigators and clinical trial recruiters to support diversity in clinical trials. The CSO team meets quarterly to (1) review clinical trial accruals, (2) recommend resources or trainings to investigators as needed, and (3) plan integration of clinical trials education into ongoing community outreach activities.

To learn more, e-mail [email protected] or call 314-747-4611.

Clinical Trials Brochures

 We’ve developed two new brochures to help inform people on how they can participate in clinical trials, and why diversity in participants of clinical trials is important.