Blacks and Hispanics under-represented in lung cancer trials

Black and Hispanic patients remain underrepresented in cancer clinical trials, but in recent years their participation has increased.

In a study of 766 cancer trials involving nearly a quarter of a million participants, Juan F. Javier-DesLoges (above) of UC San Diego and his colleagues found that Black and Hispanic subjects were involved in breast cancer trials in proportion to their rates of breast cancer, but not so for lung cancer trials.

However, their participation increased during 2015-2019 compared with 2000-2004.

Including people from diverse backgrounds in clinical trials can show if treatments are safe and effective for people with different characteristics. The National Cancer Institute has multiple initiatives to encourage such diversity in the clinical trials it funds.

• See “Although inclusion is increasing, certain populations are still under-represented in cancer clinical trials” on the EurekAlert! website (November 22, 2021)
• See abstract of scientific paper “Disparities and trends in the participation of minorities, women, and the elderly in breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer clinical trials” by Juan Javier-DesLoges et al.