ACORI Call to Action Summit Activating Equity in Community Oncology Research-Day One: Promoting Inclusion of Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups in Cancer Drug Development

Day One: Promoting Inclusion of Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups in Cancer Drug Development

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The session focused on promoting inclusion of racial and ethnic minority groups in cancer drug development and broader clinical research. Lola from the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence opened by highlighting data showing major underrepresentation of Black, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and other minority patients in oncology trials supporting drug approvals. She explained that diverse enrollment is needed so trial results reflect the intended population, improve confidence in approvals, and help identify differences in drug response.<br /><br />A key theme was that inclusion must be planned early and actively. Panelists discussed barriers such as site selection, structural inequities, social determinants of health, bias, and overly burdensome trial designs. They emphasized choosing the right trial for the right setting, reducing unnecessary eligibility criteria, lowering patient burden, and using telehealth and decentralized approaches when feasible. Community engagement was described as essential and bidirectional, not just outreach.<br /><br />Sponsors and sites shared practical strategies: developing diversity plans early, using readiness and diversity assessment tools, matching trials to site capabilities, and building partnerships between academic centers, community sites, and sponsors. Panelists stressed that sponsors should ask sites what barriers exist and help solve them rather than assume one-size-fits-all trial designs. Several noted that dedicated staffing and resources for diversity efforts have expanded since 2020, and that clinical trial diversity is increasingly seen as a health equity issue.<br /><br />The discussion closed with a call for concrete goals, collaboration, and ongoing work to make cancer trials more representative and accessible.

Keywords

cancer clinical trials

diversity in oncology

minority representation

FDA oncology

health equity

community engagement

trial accessibility

eligibility criteria

decentralized trials

site partnerships