Abstract 1941: Barriers and effective interventions to engage Latinas' participation in breast cancer clinical trials

Abstract

Abstract Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among Latina women and is the leading cause of cancer-related death among Latinas (16.6%). While The Latino population is one of the fastest-growing populations in the US, they are severely underrepresented in clinical trials. Latinos make up 17% of the population but only 1% of clinical trial participants. Of clinical trials published covering 2001-2010, Latinos’ enrollment constituted only 2.2% of accrued participants. The percentage of Latino participants narrows down when we separate by gender. The goal of this study is to examine the prevalence of breast cancer-related barriers among Latinas and to determine the extent to which these barriers might influence Latinas enrolling in breast cancer clinical trials. If language and religion are the reason Latinas enroll less in breast cancer clinical trials, then increasing the availability of translated materials and a priest of a Catholic Church advertising the breast cancer studies will increase the enrollment rate of Latinas. Semi-constructed interviews were conducted with two Latino organizations to understand current barriers Latina’s face within the medical field. Based on these findings, I conducted an intervention at Our Lady of Tepeyac Church consisting of an information booth, making an announcement regarding Research Study 9127, and having bilingual Latinas available to give out more information while helping them enroll in Research Study 9127. At the end of the church intervention, 33 Latinas were enrolled in Research Study 9127, seeing a 550% increase in Latinas participating in Research Study 9127. Latinx women remain severely underrepresented in breast cancer clinical trials, thus limiting the generalizability of cancer clinical research, but interventions across churches would lead to improvements in general cancer knowledge, breast cancer screening practices, and intentions to enroll in clinical trials. This study can inform efforts to increase clinical trial participation in Latinas by highlighting important motivators to participation specific to Latinas and informing future interventions aimed at encouraging participation in clinical trials in a culturally sensitive and effective way. Citation Format: Monica J. Padilla, Gregory Karczmar. Barriers and effective interventions to engage Latinas' participation in breast cancer clinical trials [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 1941.