Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Historically Marginalized Populations in Colorectal Cancer Trials: A...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Clinical Trials
• Health Equity

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer mortality.
• Health inequities disproportionately affect marginalized populations in CRC outcomes.
• Clinical trial diversity is essential for equitable cancer research.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate recruitment and retention strategies in CRC clinical trials.
• Assess the impact of these strategies on participant diversity.
• Examine the inclusion of diversity recruitment goals and ethical considerations.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of CRC treatment trials adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
• Duplicate data extraction with masked and independent evaluations.
• Assessment of recruitment/retention strategies, diversity goals, and ethics.

Main Results:

• 55 CRC trials were analyzed; most focused on therapeutics (83.6%).
• Only 5.5% reported strategies for recruiting marginalized populations.
• 98.2% lacked diversity recruitment goals, and none addressed ethical considerations for diverse recruitment.

Conclusions:

• Significant gaps exist in recruiting and retaining diverse populations in CRC trials.
• Limited strategies to address disparities impact trial diversity and inclusivity.
• Targeted efforts are crucial for equitable and representative CRC research outcomes.