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. 2014 Nov 3:4:303.
doi: 10.3389/fonc.2014.00303. eCollection 2014.

National Cancer Institute's Cancer Disparities Research Partnership Program: Experience and Lessons Learned

Rosemary S L Wong  1 , Bhadrasain Vikram  1 , Frank S Govern  1 , Daniel G Petereit  2 , Patrick D Maguire  3 , Maggie R Clarkson  4 , Dwight E Heron  5 , C Norman Coleman  1
Affiliations

National Cancer Institute's Cancer Disparities Research Partnership Program: Experience and Lessons Learned

Rosemary S L Wong et al. Front Oncol. .

Abstract

Purpose: To increase access of underserved/health disparities communities to National Cancer Institute (NCI) clinical trials, the Radiation Research Program piloted a unique model - the Cancer Disparities Research Partnership (CDRP) program. CDRP targeted community hospitals with a limited past NCI funding history and provided funding to establish the infrastructure for their clinical research program.

Methods: Initially, 5-year planning phase funding was awarded to six CDRP institutions through a cooperative agreement (U56). Five were subsequently eligible to compete for 5-year implementation phase (U54) funding and three received a second award. Additionally, the NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities supported their U56 patient navigation programs.

Results: Community-based hospitals with little or no clinical trials experience required at least a year to develop the infrastructure and establish community outreach/education and patient navigation programs before accrual to clinical trials could begin. Once established, CDRP sites increased their yearly patient accrual mainly to NCI-sponsored cooperative group trials (~60%) and Principal Investigator/mentor-initiated trials (~30%). The total number of patients accrued on all types of trials was 2,371, while 5,147 patients received navigation services.

Conclusion: Despite a historical gap in participation in clinical cancer research, underserved communities are willing/eager to participate. Since a limited number of cooperative group trials address locally advanced diseases seen in health disparities populations; this shortcoming needs to be rectified. Sustainability for these programs remains a challenge. Addressing these gaps through research and public health mechanisms may have an important impact on their health, scientific progress, and efforts to increase diversity in NCI clinical trials.

Keywords: access to clinical trials; cancer disparities; clinical research; patient accrual; underserved populations.

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References

    1. Frank S. Govern PhD was the Primary Creator of this Innovative Model that Reversed the Traditional Flow of Funding.
    1. TELESYNERGY™. Available at: http://telesynergy.nih.gov/index.html
    1. NOVA Research Company. Available at: http://www.novaresearch.com
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