OUTC-12. BLACK IN CANCER: EMPOWERING AND ENCOURAGING FUTURE BLACK CANCER LEADERS WHILST REDUCING CANCER DISPARITIES THROUGH EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY

Abstract

Abstract From its inception in 2020, Black in Cancer has been modelling an action-oriented approach to improving representation across the cancer community. Black in Cancer (BIC) was founded during the racial justice protests that swept across the globe in the midst of a number of Black professionals aiming to promote visibility and sharing of resources within their respective groups leading to “Black in X” communities on social media and in particular twitter. This network was required in the cancer community with Black cancer researchers, clinicians and patient advocates being underrepresented and Black patients underserved. Black or African American workers make up 12% of the U.S. working population but represent just 9% of STEM workers. Dissected even further, only 3% of medical oncologists are Black and training programs such as oncology fellowships have minimally increased between 2006 and 2018. For researchers, this disparity is even more prominent, as only 1% of all professors in biology at U.S.institutions are Black and just 0.6% in the UK. Studies show that Black researchers are about 55% less likely to receive NIH funding than white researchers. Several studies from AACR and Cancer Research UK show that Black patients are diagnosed at a later stage, with more aggressive cancers and have a higher mortality rate. Our organisation has two main initiatives to tackle these challenges, through our Cancer Awareness Project (CAP)and the Mentorship and Outreach Program (MOP). These programmes have delivered $2 million in funding for Black cancer researchers at the postdoctoral level and above, and have also supported almost 40 undergraduate students through our mentorship program. Our CAP initiative has delivered a number of informational sessions to the community in how to identify symptoms, diagnosis pathways and how patients can be informed and empowered about their healthcare decisions.