Posted 11 September 2023 - 06:16
Posted 11 September 2023 - 06:16
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Nurses to help boost race diversity in breast cancer trials
Cancer nurse specialists will be recruited to project that’s exploring ways to increase participation among women of black and other diverse heritages
Cancer nurse specialists will be recruited to NHS project exploring ways to increase participation among women of black and other diverse heritages
Specialist nurses will play a pivotal role in a project to increase the number of black, Asian and minority ethnic patients taking part in breast cancer trials.
They will work one-to-one with breast cancer patients at two health trusts to support them through the trial process, during the year-long project.
The work is a collaboration between the NHS Race and Health Observatory, Macmillan Cancer Support, Barts NHS Health Trust in London, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester and pharmaceutical firm Roche Products.
Lack of robust data for breast cancer in diverse groups hampers equality of outcomes
A specialist nurse will be recruited to work at each of the two trusts with the two posts due to be advertised from October 2023.
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The project will look at new ways to make contact with and recruit people from racially diverse communities who are currently under-represented in many clinical trials. Lack of detailed data on breast cancer in different groups means it can be harder to ensure all patients get optimal treatment, regardless of their heritage.
‘There is no hard-to-reach community when it comes to addressing potentially fatal health conditions’
Habib Naqvi, chief executive, NHS Race and Health Observatory
Research suggests young black women in particular have more aggressive tumours, present with later stages of the disease, have higher mortality rates and experience poorer care than white women.
However, the NHS Race and Health Observatory has had feedback from black women that most breast cancer leaflets and posters in GP surgeries and hospitals only depict older white women.
‘There is a broad misperception that black women don’t suffer as much from breast cancer or it does not run in their family history,’ said observatory chief executive Habib Naqvi.
‘This can result in the perception that cancer is a white person’s disease. We want this pilot to encourage women at risk, those already diagnosed and individuals undergoing post-treatment to come forward and share their experiences and get the information needed.’
Ways to widen racial representation in clinical trials
The project will look at ways to boost representation on trials, such as developing marketing materials targeted at different communities and improving data collection.
It will also explore the impact of providing extra support to ensure patients with breast cancer understand the disease and the role of clinical research, as well as directing patients to suitable trials.
Dr Naqvi said, with the right approach, it is possible to recruit trial participants from diverse backgrounds .
‘We believe that when targeted, culturally sensitive interventions and communications are put in place, underrepresented groups can be recruited,’ he said. ‘There is no ‘hard to reach’ community when it comes to addressing potentially fatal health conditions.’
Barts Health and The Christie have been contacted for comment.
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