Disparities in cancer clinical trials information-seeking: Findings from the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service.
Robin C Vanderpool, Diane Ng, Grace Huang and 2 others
PMID 38936161WHAT IT FOUND
27.5% of cancer information service contacts discussed clinical trials, mostly by survivors and caregivers.
Spanish-language contacts were less likely to do so, and phone or LiveHelp channels were common.
Key findings
01Of 117,016 CIS inquiries, 27.5% included a cancer clinical trial discussion; 35.5% came from survivors, 53.5% from caregivers, 6.1% from the general public, and 4.9% from health professionals.
02Spanish-language inquiries had lower odds of a trial discussion (OR=0.26, 95% CI: 0.25-0.28), while LiveHelp and email inquiries had higher odds than telephone inquiries (OR=2.29 and OR=1.24).
03Among 3,942 telephone inquiries with sociodemographic data, users who were male, aged 50-64, more educated, had household income of $60,000 or more, or had insurance had higher odds of a trial discussion; non-Hispanic Black users and rural users had lower odds.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The data are a convenience sample of people who already sought cancer information from the CIS, so they may not represent all patients, caregivers, or providers. Sociodemographic information was available only for a small subset of telephone inquiries (3,942), and missing observations were excluded. CIS service was available only in English or Spanish, so other language groups were not represented. The study describes information-seeking patterns in service records, not a randomized intervention or patient enrollment outcome.
Declared interests
The authors declared no known competing financial interests or personal relationships. The Cancer Information Service is described as federally sponsored.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the Cancer Information Service increases cancer clinical trial participation. The study analyzed service inquiries and associations with trial discussions, not a randomized intervention or patient enrollment outcomes.