Abstract PL06-02: Interventions to increase accrual to cancer therapeutic trials: What do we know? What do we need to know?

Certain populations are often underrepresented in NCI-funded cancer clinical trials, namely racial/ethnic minorities, older adults, adolescents, populations who are geographically isolated, and populations of low socioeconomic status. Since 1993, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has required that all sponsored clinical trials ensure that women and members of minorities and their subpopulations be included in all human subjects research. The NIH has sponsored several efforts to recruit women and minorities into cancer clinical trials and other types of studies. However, more than fifteen years following the institution of this NIH requirement, enrollment of vulnerable populations into cancer clinical trials remains inadequate. The purpose of this study is to report on the evidence related to interventions designed to increase accrual to cancer clinical trials. An updated systematic review of the literature was conducted to determine the barriers to and promoters of participation among vulnerable populations in cancer prevention or treatment trials. This review revealed much heterogeneity in the studies' designs. We will review the evidence on methods used to study intervention strategies, and discuss opportunities for improving designs of studies whose goals are to test these intervention strategies to increase minority recruitment to cancer-related trials. We will also discuss issues associated with recruitment at multiple levels - the individual, provider, and institutional.