Race and Ethnicity in the Evidence for Integrating Palliative Care Into Oncology

ASCO recommends early involvement of palliative care for patients with advanced cancers on the basis of evidence from 18 randomized trials. We examined racial and ethnic minority representation in these trials and the role of race and ethnicity in the statistical analyses. The goal was to identify specific gaps in the palliative care evidence base for these individuals and potential strategies to address them.

We reviewed the 18 trials cited in the 2012 and 2017 ASCO clinical statements on integrating palliative care into oncology. We extracted data on the reporting and categorization of race and ethnicity, on the enrollment of specific racial and ethnic minority groups, and on how race and ethnicity were addressed in the analyses.

One third of patient trials reported representation of specific racial and ethnic minority groups, one third reported rates of "white" versus "other," and one third did not report race or ethnicity data. Among the patient trials with race and ethnicity data, 9.9% of participants were Asian, 8.8% Hispanic/Latino, and 5.7% African American. Analyses that used race and ethnicity were primarily baseline comparisons among randomized groups.

Race and ethnicity were inconsistently reported in the trials. Among those that provided race and ethnicity data, representation of specific racial and ethnic minority groups was low. In addition to more research in centers with large minority populations, consistent reporting of race and ethnicity and supplementary data collection from minority patients who participate in trials may be strategies for improvement.