Inclusion of Minority Patients in Breast Cancer Clinical Trials: The Role of the Clinical Trial Environment
Abstract
PURPOSE: To determine the effects of clinical trial (CT) characteristics on physicians' referral of minority women to breast cancer CTs. SCOPE: Activities included: a) Identifying 225 breast cancer CTs conducted in 2006 at 352 sites in California, Florida, Illinois, and New York through NCI Website; b) Interviewing 233 research team members; and c) Surveying 706 oncologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologists from the four states. FINDINGS: Almost 40% of the physicians reported discussing enrollment in a CT with their patients, while 33% said they frequently discussed the benefits/burdens of a specific CT. Oncologists were significantly more likely than other specialists to discuss enrollment and the benefits/burdens of a CT. Time spent in patient care and distance to a CT were negatively associated with referral. The most cited barriers to recruitment were study entry criteria and an indicator of patient barriers. Examination of the CT environment indicated that only one-third of the CT sites reported providing study summaries in a language other than English and less than one-half provided onsite interpreters. These results suggest that availability and accessibility play key roles in physician referral to CTs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA544195
Entities
People
- Celia P. Kaplan
Organizations
- University of California, San Francisco