Summary
The FDA issued draft guidance in April 2022 emphasizing the need to enhance the inclusion of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic populations in clinical trials. Previous research has highlighted racial/ethnic inequities in clinical trial participation, but these studies typically relied on enrollment data from published trials, which often lack information on participants’ race/ethnicity.
In this study, researchers aimed to address this gap by evaluating the presence of racial/ethnic inequities in oncology clinical trial participation among a contemporary real-world cohort of cancer patients.
Why this matters
With mounting evidence of widening racial/ethnic inequities in healthcare access and outcomes, particularly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to understand whether racial/ethnic inequities in oncology clinical trial participation have persisted in recent years. Examining the extent of these inequities and their potential evolution in recent years is significant in understanding and addressing healthcare challenges faced by diverse populations.