Texas Clinical Trial Participation Study

Background

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2008, 97,281 Texans were newly diagnosed with cancer: an estimated 38,037 Texans died of cancer in 2008.  Cancer incidence increases with age: midlife or older adults are most affected. For Texas, as in the rest of the US, growing numbers of older adults will increase the number of people affected. Medically underserved and minority populations in Texas are frequently affected by cancer to a greater degree.  These populations are also the least likely to have information about and access to cancer clinical trials.

Controlled clinical trials are the “gold standard” for evaluating new therapies and agents, yet the national statistic for cancer clinical trial participation among adults is estimated at only 2.5-3%.Interestingly, this percentage may be misleading as it considers only NCI funded trials and misses the participation rates for industry trials—potentially 60-80% of open trials. To date, no empirical studies, for either the nation or for individual states, exist demonstrating cancer clinical trial participation in both industry and government trials.

 Important Research Questions for Texas:

• Are clinical trials available in Texas for the cancer patients in whom a clinical trial is indicated?
• Are the trials accessible to Texans with cancer from all parts of the state?
• What is the rate of clinical trial participation among Texans with cancer for whom a clinical trial was available?
• Do Texas clinical trial participation rates vary by race/ethnicity, age, or accessibility of clinical trial sites?

To learn more about this study please contact Deborah Vollmer Dahlke at TLSF at 512.699.4493 or via email dvd@tlsfoundation.org.