The Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (HDFCCC) at UCSF was invited to participate in a national Pilot Project being conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC). The pilot project is testing a research site self-assessment tool focused on increasing racial and ethnic diversity among cancer treatment trial participants. Dr. Hala Borno, who is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, UCSF, is coordinating the pilot at UCSF.
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"Access to cancer clinical trials remains unequal. This problem takes all of us doing our part. This pilot aims to identify implicit bias across our research and care teams, acknowledging they may be directly impacting which patients are offered clinical trials and which choose to participate. I am honored that UCSF is a participant of a multi-site effort to tackle this unacceptable inequity. "
- Dr. Hala Borno
The joint ASCO-ACCC initiative was designed to identify and implement novel strategies and practical solutions to increase cancer treatment trial participation among patients from racial and ethnic minority communities, which continue to be under-represented in cancer research when compared with their percentages in the overall population of patients with cancer.
The HDFCCC will be testing a self-assessment tool and will provide feedback to ASCO and ACCC about the feasibility and utility of the resources and training.
UCSF became involved in the initiative to help identify research site factors, such as policies, procedures, programs, and infrastructure, that may be impacting which patients are screened for and offered a cancer treatment trial, as well as factors impacting patient participation and retention.
Data collection for the pilot project will conclude in December 2021. ASCO and ACCC aim to rollout an updated implicit bias training program and site-self assessment tool to the larger oncology community in late spring 2022.
To learn more about the collaboration, visit ASCO.org/asco-accc.