Studying how to improve participation of communities of color in lung cancer clinical trials 

The Problem 

Participation in clinical trials by cancer patients in the U.S. is extremely low, at about 8% participation (Unger et al., JNCI, 2019). Participation is even lower among racial and ethnic minority groups. Of the few patients who do participate in a clinical trial, only about 6% are Black, 3% are Asian American, and 2% are Hispanic (Kwiatkowski et al., Cancer, 2013).  

Because of the lack of diversity, it can be difficult to fully understand how new ways of treating cancer work across all patients. And it perpetuates healthcare disparities as these patients are not fully included in the process of developing new drugs and planning to ensure access. 

The Study 

STRIDES was started to discover strategies to improve participation of communities of color in lung cancer clinical trials. The study will focus on obtaining better understanding of the barriers to clinical trial participation among Black patients in Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia. Initially, the project will survey and interview different people who play a role in the clinical trial process, from patients to doctors, to find out what items contribute to decreased clinical trial participation among Black patients in these areas. The second part of the project will use those lessons learned to select and pilot different evidence-based initiatives to increase the participation of Black patients in clinical trials. 

GO2 Foundation Involvement 

GO2 for Lung Cancer is leading the STRIDES study team along with the STRIDES partner institutions. We have key personnel on the research team and will help lead study design and dissemination of findings, while also organizing study implementation along with the partner institutions.  

STRIDES Research Partners 

Several researchers and institutions have partnered with GO2 Foundation to contribute their research expertise to the study design and implementation process. They will also support the project by providing the study team with key resources and facilities at their respective institutions. The STRIDES Research Partners include: 

The University of Alabama at Birmingham: 
Monica L. Baskin, PhD
Soumya J. Niranjan, PhD 

Augusta University: 
Nagla Abdel Karim, MD 

Vanderbilt University: 
Melinda C. Aldrich, PhD
Christine Lovly, MD, PhD   

How is this research funded? 

The STRIDES study is funded by grants awarded to GO2 for Lung Cancer from Genentech and Bristol Myers Squibb.