Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials

A lack of access to health care and treatment, brought about by socioeconomic and environmental factors, can impact the observed racial disparities in prostate cancer. While clinical trials open the doors to novel therapeutics targeted toward improving the survival of men with prostate cancer, an underrepresentation of racial groups could mean decreased insights into potential treatments for at-risk populations.

In this study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology for the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting, data from CancerLinQ were gathered. Patients diagnosed with regional or metastatic prostate cancer between 2011 and 2021 were identified and included in the analysis, which sought to examine the enrollment and overall survival of patients with prostate cancer in clinical trials.

Ultimately, of the 160,888 patients with regional or metastatic prostate cancer, only 1.5% were enrolled in a clinical trial. Compared to white patients, African American patients had a significantly lower likelihood of enrolling in a clinical trial. And, for all patients in the cohort, clinical trial enrollment was correlated with significantly higher survival regardless of race. Lastly, according to a subgroup analysis, African American men exhibited similar survival rates to white men when enrolled in clinical trials.

In conclusion, understanding the insights provided in this analysis can help clinicians and researchers identify barriers and increase clinical trial enrollment for African American men with regional or metastatic prostate cancer. Despite barriers to clinical trial enrollment, African American men appear to experience similar survival rates to white men after enrollment in clinical trials [1].

Source:

[1] Kim, S. P., Kiani, K., Konety, B., Bronsert, M., Candelario, N., Kessler, E. R., Gershman, B., Tyler, R., & Flaig, T. W. (2022, June). Diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer: a population-based cohort from national oncology practices [Poster session]. 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/212227

Most Recent

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Oncology

Pulmonology

Risk Stratification in Post-Surgery Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

A retrospective analysis finds that patients who undergo pneumonectomy or are aged 70 years or older after receiving neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy experience less favorable surgical outcomes. Lung cancer, particularly stage IIIA–N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The most effective treatment approach for this type...

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Oncology

Pulmonology

Postoperative Complications and Surgical Issues With Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy-Treated Lung Cancer

Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, whether compared to immunotherapy alone or in combination with apatinib, may lead to increased surgical complexity while maintaining an acceptable incidence of postoperative complications, according to the results of a retrospective study. Lung cancer, specifically non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, accounting for nearly 85% of...

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Oncology

Pulmonology

The Impact of Kinlessness on the Survival of Lung Cancer Patients

In a retrospective study, patients without a social support network had a shorter survival rate than those with support. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to be a significant health issue and is a leading cause of death in many countries. Although there are promising new treatments available for certain types of lung cancer, managing...