Summary
By 2024, drug sponsors will be mandated by FDA to establish strategies aimed at enhancing the representation of diverse racial and ethnic groups in clinical trials. Although individuals from historically marginalized populations have lower rates of participation in cancer trials, it remains uncertain whether social determinants of health (SDOH) can account for these inequities.
In this study, researchers aimed to identify SDOH that contribute to racial/ethnic inequities in clinical trial participation among patients diagnosed with 22 different types of solid and blood cancers.
Why this matters
A significant proportion of documented racial/ethnic inequities in trial participation among patients with cancer can be attributed to SDOH, including manifestations of structural racism like residential segregation. These research findings have the potential to guide focused initiatives aimed at enhancing the representation of diverse racia/ethnic groups in cancer trials.