Clinical research is critical to the development of life saving treatments. And ACCC has long supported equitable access to clinical trials, including efforts to ensure that these trials reflect the diversity of the populations they serve. ACCC has made the Just ASK™ Training Program and Site Self-Assessment available free-of-charge to help research sites address barriers to participation in cancer clinical trials among racial and ethnic populations. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ facilities a candid conversation with Glyniss Redman, who received treatment at Gibbs Cancer Center and Research Institute for multiple myeloma, and 2 members of her cancer treatment team: clinical research coordinator Audrianna Carrington and oncologist hematologist Dr. Tondre Buck, about overcoming barriers, ensuring shared decision-making, and improving the inclusion of historically underrepresented groups in clinical trials.
“If you look at cancers in general, treatments have gotten better over the years in almost every category, and we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for clinical trials.” – Tondre Buck, MD
“We’re playing the long game here. Some of the information or this research may not be about me. This is about our future generation…so this is a legacy game for me…This is what I’m doing with my [one] wild and precious life. I want to be here as long as I possibly can, but I also want my offspring: my children, my grandchildren, and my great grandchildren to be here as well and [to] have a better experience as far as health care and cancer.” – Glyniss Redman
“We do have to talk about past unethical experimentation and research in order for us to better prepare how we're going to go forward…[transportation] is one barrier that we are tackling. You know, we don't want to put that stress on the patients who have to choose between gas, their physician visit, their food, or their medicine for the day. So that is a huge barrier, and you really want that population to be represented on the trial, because rural populations tend to have higher cancer rates.” – Audrianna Carrington
Tondre Buck, MD
Oncologist Hematologist
Gibbs Cancer Center and Research Institute
Spartanburg, SC
Audrianna Carrington
Clinical Research Coordinator
Gibbs Cancer Center and Research Institute
Spartanburg, SC
Glyniss Redman
Poet and Patient with Multiple Myeloma
Reference:
Unger JM, Shulman LN, Facktor MA, et al. National estimates of the participation of patients with cancer in clinical research studies based on Commission on Cancer accreditation data. J Clin Oncol. 2024;42(18):2139-2148. doi:10.1200/JCO.23.01030
Resources:
The Just ASK™ Training Program, Site Self-Assessment, and Training Facilitation Guide
ACORI Call to Action Summit
Clinical Research Terms Glossary
Increasing Clinical Trial Accrual Through the Implementation of a Clinical Trials Navigator
Gibbs Cancer Center and Research Institute
Cancer Moonshot Biobank
National Estimates of the Participation of Patients With Cancer in Clinical Research Studies Based on Commission on Cancer Accreditation Data
TalkAboutTrials.com