On July 11, the American Cancer Society (ACS) announced a new collaboration with Trial Library, Inc., and the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (PCCTC) to support a national initiative to accelerate the recruitment of Black patients to prostate cancer clinical trials.

Despite declines in overall cancer mortality in the United States, deaths from prostate cancer in Black men represent the greatest mortality disparity in oncology. Black men are two to four times more likely to die from prostate cancer than any other racial and ethnic group. Additionally, less than 5% of participants in oncology clinical trials are Black men. Clinical trials provide an avenue for patients to contribute to research findings for future generations and may offer access to cutting-edge therapies.

ACS is committed to enhancing racial diversity in clinical trials. To increase participation of Black men with prostate cancer in clinical trials, ACS is announcing a funding opportunity to support community oncology practices and hospitals in their efforts for clinical trial enrollment. Eligible practice-based applicants must have direct patient interaction and the capability to participate in clinical trials.

“Diversifying participation in clinical trials is crucial to decreasing prostate cancer deaths for everyone,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society. “It’s time to move beyond words and put into action a plan to help clinicians and patients. ACS is committed to supporting research and evidence-based care to improve the health of all communities.”

To better support efforts toward recruitment of patients to clinical trials, ACS will pair awarded community oncology and urology practices with the Trial Library platform, which provides patient identification and navigation support through software and technology-enabled services integrated in community practices. To build upon existing infrastructure and promote the sustainability of clinical trial enrollment efforts, ACS will support access to the PCCTC to help awarded teams enroll patients on hypothesis-driven trials of novel agents and combinations that could prolong the lives of patients with prostate cancer. “Championing diversity, equity, and inclusivity in participant recruitment and clinical research practices is a pillar of the PCCTC’s Guiding Principles,” commented Jake Vinson, CEO of PCCTC.

Trial Library has previously partnered with the PCCTC to enroll hundreds of patients with prostate cancer into clinical trials across the U.S. “Our innovative collaboration to augment research capacity in community-based settings, where 85% of patients with cancer receive care, is essential to advancing equity in whom clinical trials serve,” said Dr. Hala Borno, CEO of Trial Library. ACS believes this proven and evidence-based approach will provide the necessary support that community practices need to advance access to prostate cancer clinical trials for Black patients.

ACS will provide awardees up to $200,000 direct costs per year for two years to build the infrastructure needed to increase clinical trial enrollment. These funds may be used to support clinical staff involved in recruitment and trial enrollment as well as any infrastructure needed to engage men with prostate cancer. Successful applications will be those with demonstrated ability to participate in clinical trials, a history of community engagement in areas that include a sizeable Black population, and viable plans to engage these men in clinical trials, that will benefit from additional funds and services provided by this initiative through collaboration with the ACS, Trial Library, and the PCCTC. Although this initiative is focused to improving access to trials for Black men, it is anticipated that this collaboration will increase enrollment of all men into prostate cancer clinical trials.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent (LOI) by September 16, 2024 using ProposalCentral that includes the title, principal investigator contact information, other key personnel, volume of patients seen, past and current involvement in clinical trials, and a brief description of the proposed project (not to exceed 3 pages). Upon receipt, ACS will provide appropriate guidance to ensure applications are within scope of this funding announcement and more information about the application process.

This collaboration aligns well with our existing work to spread the word of the Black community about the importance of early detection for prostate cancer. Earlier this year, ACS launched  “Change the Odds: Uniting to Improve Cancer Outcomes™,” a new initiative to start creating change where it is most urgently needed: in communities disproportionately impacted by breast and prostate cancer. Through funding from Pfizer, Change the Odds is designed to raise awareness of no- and low-cost screening, enhance access to support and navigation services and provide general information about clinical trial opportunities, including culturally and linguistically diverse resources.

This story was published by the American Cancer Society on July 11, 2024. It is republished with permission.