Improving equity and quality of care

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Clinical trials drive improvements in care and treatment for all kinds of cancers, yet many groups, from communities of color to LGBTQ+ individuals, have historically been underrepresented in oncology research.

In 2023, the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund awarded two grants totaling more than $1.4 million to the MultiCare Institute for Research & Innovation for projects aimed at increasing participation and diversity in cancer clinical trials.

The largest award, worth nearly $950,000, funds work designed to increase cancer research participation among communities of color. The research team, led by Deana Williams, PhD, MPH, and Chaya Pflugeisen, MSc, MEd, established an advisory group of cancer survivors and caregivers of color, as well as professionals serving cancer patients of color, to guide decision making and priority setting for the project.

The research team will also hold focus groups with survivors and caregivers of color to understand and explore clinical trial barriers and needs. Insights from the focus groups and advisory committee will inform the development of an anti-racist, culturally conscious intervention and patient navigation program, which will be piloted and tested in 2024.

“In the long term, this study has the potential to provide more representative clinical trial data that may lead to improvements in cancer screenings, treatments and mortality disparities among communities of color,” Williams says.

The second award of almost $475,000 funds a project intended to increase cervical cancer screening among queer women (women who are bisexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual, queer or who otherwise don’t identify as heterosexual). Community engagement and collaboration are a central focus of this project as well; input from interviews with queer women and queer community members will inform the development and testing of a culturally conscious intervention next year.

“More than 90 percent of cervical cancers are preventable, but cervical cancer is still a major public health issue in the U.S.,” says Williams, who is also leading this study. “Current cervical cancer screening initiatives are not meeting the needs of queer women, and this study aims to change that.”

Work on these research projects will extend through July 2025.