Monday, October 19, 2009
Grand Ballroom, Salons 1 & 2 (Renaissance Hollywood Hotel)
Margaret M. Byrne, PhD, Julie Kornfeld, MPH, Stefan Gluck, MD, PhD, Judith Hurley, MD and Michael Antoni, PhD, University of Miami, Miami, FL
Purpose: Participation in cancer clinical trials is very low. The purpose of this research was to determine what factors are associated with participation in clinical trials. Method: We conducted a telephone survey of 1100 cancer patients throughout Florida. Cancer patients were identified through the Florida Cancer Data System, a state wide cancer registry. Individuals included were Whites, Hispanics, and African Americans with breast, prostate, colorectal or lung cancer. Questions included: sociodemographic characteristics, whether the patient had participated in a clinical trial and if they had thought about participation, willingness to participate, and factors which would encourage or discourage participation.
Result: Participants were patients with breast (42.8%), prostate (28.7%), colorectal (17.9%) and lung (10.6%) cancer. Women were the majority participants (57.2%). African Americans accounted for 24.8% of participants, and Hispanics for 38.1%. The average age was 67.4 (sd 11.7) years.
Only 84 participants (7.7%) had participated in a clinical trial. Women (p=0.026) and breast cancer patients (p=0.007) were more likely to have participated in a trial. African Americans were not significantly different from Whites in participation rates (p=0.570), but Hispanics were significantly less likely to participate (p=0.002). Of those who had participated, 69.1% said that they would definitely or probably participate again. Of those who had not participated, 58.2% had spent no time considering participating in a trial, and another 24.2% had spent very little time. Only 36.5% reported that they would probably or most likely be willing to participate in a clinical trial; 20.7% would definitely not be willing, and 10.9% would probably not be willing. Over two-thirds reported not wanting to participate because they didn’t want to be a guinea pig, but 94.8% report that an encouraging factor would be if their physician thought participation was advisable.
Conclusion: Participation rates in clinical trials were found to be very low in a diverse population of cancer patients in Florida; in addition, reported willingness to participate was low. Although the results are discouraging concerning willingness to participate, improve education about clinical trials – particularly by a health care provider - may reduce some of the barriers and fears for participation.
Candidate for the Lee B. Lusted Student Prize Competition
