Willingness to Discuss Clinical Trials Among Black vs White Men With Prostate Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Disparities
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Black individuals are underrepresented in cancer clinical trials.
• Prostate cancer disproportionately affects Black men.
• Understanding barriers to clinical trial participation is crucial for equitable cancer care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate racial differences in willingness to discuss cancer clinical trials between Black and White men with prostate cancer.
• To determine if patient-level factors mediate racial disparities in willingness to discuss clinical trials.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey of 205 Black and White men with prostate cancer.
• Data collected from 2016-2019 at NCI-designated cancer centers.
• Mediation analysis examined the role of age, education, income, health literacy, trust, and medical suspicion in racial differences.

Main Results:

• White participants were more willing to discuss clinical trials than Black participants (82% vs. 64%).
• Black participants reported lower education, income, health literacy, and higher medical suspicion.
• Group-based medical suspicion significantly mediated the racial difference in willingness to discuss trials.

Conclusions:

• Addressing medical mistrust is essential to improve Black men's willingness to participate in cancer clinical trials.
• Findings underscore the need for interventions targeting systemic distrust to enhance equity in cancer research.
• Reducing disparities in clinical trial enrollment requires understanding and mitigating race-based barriers.