GAO Report Finds Certain Demographics Underrepresented in Cancer Drug Trials

December 23, 2022

A newly released report from the US Government Accountability Office finds that, despite years of health equity efforts, several key demographics are routinely underrepresented in clinical trials for new cancer therapeutics. This includes people with lower-incomes, rural residents, teens, older adults, and women. In addition, people from certain ethnic and racial backgrounds are also underrepresented.

According to Zachary Brennan, “The report also highlights one study of Black men — whose incidence rate of prostate cancer is 70% greater than that of white men and whose mortality rate is 2.5 times higher than white men —’looked at availability of prostate cancer clinical trials by county and population. It found that the counties with a higher proportion of Blacks were less likely to have access to both cancer facilities and prostate cancer trials,’ GAO notes.”

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(Source: Endpoints News, December 22nd, 2022)

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