Abstract A40: An institutional strategy to increase minority recruitment to therapeutic trials

Purpose: Participation in therapeutic clinical trials rarely reflects the race and ethnic composition of the patient population. To meet NIH-mandated goals, strategies to increase participation are required. Here, we present a framework for institutional enhancement of minority clinical trial accrual that provides linkages to other interventions. We report implementation of this framework at the Siteman Cancer Center, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Methods: We implemented structural changes on four levels to induce and sustain minority accrual to clinical trials: 1) leadership support, 2) center-wide policy change, 3) infrastructural process control, data analysis and reporting and 4) follow up with clinical investigators. The Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC) reviews studies and monitors accrual, and the Program for the Elimination Cancer Disparities (PECaD) leads efforts for proportional accrual, supporting the system through data tracking and web tools. Results: Following implementation in 2005, minority accrual to trials (therapeutic and nontherapeutic) increased from 13.7% in 2005, to 14.4% in 2006,15.9% in 2007 and 16.8% in 2008. The “rolling average” minority cancer incidence at the Cancer Center during this four-year timeframe was 17.3%. There has been an increase in the number of minorities participating in clinical trials in the years 2005 to 2008 (from 346 to 630,82%) compared to a 43% increase in the number of Caucasians during the same time period. Minority accrual in therapeutic clinical trials increased from 11.4% to 14.6%. Conclusion: Implementing a system to aid investigators in planning and establishing targets for accrual, while requiring this component as a part of annual protocol review and monitoring accrual, offers a successful strategy that can be replicated in other cancer centers. This approach may also be extendable to other clinical and translational centers. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):A40.