Fewer minority and rural cancer patients in Maryland participate in clinical trials, making it harder to develop effective treatments, according to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
“If a new treatment worked in one population, we are not sure it would work in the population that didn?t participate in the trial,” said Dr. Claudia Baquet, director of the school?s Center for Health Disparities and Outreach, who led the study being published Thursday in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The number of black cancer patients in Maryland who participated in federally funded trials fell by 8.9 percent to 17.8 percent between 1999 and 2002, according to the study. During the same time, the overall number of cancer patients participating rose 1 percent to 2.9 percent. Rural areas, such as Allegany and Washington counties, also had lower-than-expected participation rates. The study looked at 2,240 patients enrolled in National Cancer Institute-sponsored trials.
Baquet called the disparity “very disturbing,” particularly because blacks have disproportionately higher rates for certain cancers.
The death rate for cancer among black men is 37 percent higher than among white men, and 17 percent higher for black women, according to the American Cancer Society.
The differences could be explained by biological or genetic differences, lifestyle and access to health care, said Patricia Hoge, chief mission officer for the society?s South Atlantic Division.
The reasons for the disparity in trial participation include a lack of awareness of trials by doctors and patients, strict criteria for participation, and poor researcher communication skills, according to the study. There is also a suspicion of physicians and clinical trials among minorities, said Carlessia Hussein of the state Health Department?s Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities. Health professionals must “make a special effort to communicate clearly to the person the dangers and benefits in a clear way and develop trust before even launching that conversation,” Hussein said.
