Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) has been and continues to be a principal organization in oncology research and clinical trials by funding multi-institutional and multidisciplinary cancer research teams that work collaboratively to bring the most effective treatments to patients across all cancer types. However, a cancer patient's access to new and innovative cancer screenings and treatments may be limited by the patient's race/ethnicity, spoken language, and socioeconomic status, among other factors.
Colorectal cancer screening rates in the U.S., for example, appear to be the lowest in Hispanic communities. Data has shown that 59 percent of Hispanic people are screened for colorectal cancer compared to 66 percent of Black people and 69 percent of White people. This is one of the reasons that Hispanic and Black people are, unfortunately, diagnosed later in the evolution of the disease, when the cancers may have advanced and are harder to treat. SU2C continues to tackle the disparities that prevent People of Color and people living in underserved communities from accessing cancer screenings and participating in clinical trials through the SU2C Health Equity Initiative.
"My personal mission and the mission at Stand Up To Cancer is to help everybody in and outside of the United States have ready access to cancer detection and the best possible care," said Edith Perez, MD, Chair of SU2C's Heath Equity Committee and Vice Chair of SU2C's Scientific Advisory Committee. "We want to decrease the risk of cancer...[and] we want to help with early detection that could optimize survival and minimize the need for more intensive therapies. At the same time, we want therapies to be available to everyone. To do this, we must focus on education and screening in medically underserved communities, where there are such longstanding disparities."
Recently, SU2C has announced two separate partnerships that will aid the organization in achieving health equity in cancer screenings and clinical trials. In December 2020, the organization received a grant to improve colorectal cancer screening, early detection, and prevention in underserved communities across the United States, including the Hispanic community.
This collaboration has funded a comprehensive public awareness campaign with Jamie Foxx and hip hop artists Chuck D and Pete Colon to increase screenings. It has also created the SU2C Colorectal Cancer Health Equity Dream Team, establishing three SU2C Zones: Greater Boston, Los Angeles, and Great Plains tribal communities in South Dakota to improve screening, research, education, and training in medically underserved communities with particularly low screening rates.
"We focus on developing and sharing impactful public health announcements," Perez added. "We strive to do them both in English and in Spanish, because not all Hispanics who are here are completely fluent in English, particularly in the areas of medical or health terminology. So, we want to be cognizant of that issue and not overlook it."
Perez stresses that clear communication is key to effective cancer care. However, this one critical element of care is often impaired by language barriers that may eventually give rise to misunderstandings and a patient's distrust in their doctors. All this, of course, affects a patient's access to cancer screenings, care, and their ability to participate in clinical trials.
In June 2022, SU2C received a sponsorship to increase diversity in clinical trials. According to data published by the FDA, 73 percent of clinical trial participants are White, 14 percent are Asian, 6 percent are Hispanic, and 5 percent are Black. To increase these low participation numbers, four groups of funded researchers will work with Federally Qualified Health Centers, clinics, and local advocacy groups to remove barriers that have prevented diversified clinical trial participation. SU2C will provide dedicated support for community awareness and outreach in support of the grantee teams, as well as additional funding for local community advocacy organizations to support these efforts.
"We are doing this with great intent," Perez said. "We are purposeful when it comes to the inclusion of diverse populations in clinical trials. We believe as clinical researchers that we have the potential to be more productive when we take these trials to medically underserved communities versus only holding trials in academic centers."
By bringing clinical trials into communities, rather than isolating this research in academia, SU2C will be able to diversify participation, ultimately expanding access to innovative therapies for medically underserved patients. It will also make it easier for health care providers to recommend evidence-based therapies to all their patients, not just to their patients whose race/ethnicity was best represented in a clinical trial.
"I think it is really important that we not only talk to patients about health, but we also listen to them," Perez said. "We all need to have a better appreciation of the areas that are of concern to patients, which may include the barriers they face."
Elizabeth Rose Galamba is a contributing writer.