Barriers to diversity in cancer therapy: Uncovering disparities in knowledge and interpretation of genetic testing among African Americans, and their direct implications for access to mutation-based therapies.

Abstract

e18587 Background: African American cancer patients are disproportionately impacted by limited access to health education and resources, limiting their access to advanced care and clinical trials (CTs). In line, African Americans have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial/ethnic group in the US for most cancers. In this study we analyzed cancer patients’ knowledge of different parameters of their disease, including biomarker/mutational status knowledge which is vital for making informed treatment decisions. Methods: Leal (formerly, Trialjectory) is an AI-based platform that matches cancer patients to CTs based on a self reported medical profile. The profile includes parameters essential for CT matching including disease status, stage, biomarker/mutational status, treatment history, comorbidities and demographics. This study included a multi-racial sample cohort of 11,302 patients with advanced cancer who completed the questionnaire between 2019-2023. We characterized the general questionnaire completion rate and further focused on whether genetic testing was performed and on biomarker knowledge across varying clinical, demographic and racial/ethnic groups. Results: The general questionnaire completion rate was not affected by age, gender, or ethnic group. Genetic testing performance was associated with cancer types for which treatment guidelines recommend testing. There was no major difference in genetic testing performance between ethnic groups (Pearson’s Χ² = 0.05), with slightly lower rates in African Americans compared to other racial groups. A notable gap was found in the interpretation and reporting of test results across all races. Race and ethnic background had a significant impact on biomarker knowledge (Pearson’s Χ² < 0.0001), with African Americans having a profoundly lower probability of knowing/reporting their mutation status compared to other races/ethnic groups. Clinical trials that require the presence of certain mutations for a match were ranked lower on the matched CT list or were not matched at all for patients who failed to report their biomarker data. Conclusions: African Americans are less likely to know or interpret/report their mutation status compared to other races or ethnic groups. This disparity was not influenced by the completion rate of the questionnaire, suggesting that ethnicity is not a hindrance to accessing technology. Our results highlight a significant gap in access to information and education particularly in regards to biomarker knowledge, which play a crucial role in obtaining the most effective treatment or accessing mutation-specific targeted therapy within or outside of a CT. Addressing these disparities is imperative to ensure that cancer patients can make informed treatment decisions.