Fox Chase Researchers Receive $2.4 Million Grant to Explore Disparities in Clinical Trial Enrollment

PHILADELPHIA (July 11, 2024) — Three Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have received a grant totaling nearly $2.4 million from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to study racial and ethnic equity in clinical trials. 

“I am incredibly honored to have won this award. I’m so grateful to be part of an institution that is so committed to improving equitable care and has greatly supported my team in applying for this grant,” said Shazia K. Nakhoda, MD, who specializes in lymphoma and leukemia. She is the principal investigator on the project and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology and a member of the Hematology-Lymphoma Program at Fox Chase. 

The goal of the project is to improve access to clinical trials for all patients across the Temple Health system, particularly those from underrepresented groups. Clinical trials not only help researchers and clinicians better understand the best way to treat cancers and other diseases, but also provide patients access to cutting-edge therapies. Therefore, access to clinical trials is critical to providing equitable care. 

“A lot of research evaluating diversity, equity, and inclusion in clinical trials has shown what barriers currently exist in our medical system, but few have identified replicable methods to overcome these barriers on a systemic level,” said Nakhoda. “I am hopeful our study can help us better understand which of our interventions are most effective and then be eventually studied at other medical institutions.” 

The research program, “RECONNECT: Overcoming Racial and Ethnic Inequity in Clinical Trial Enrollment Via Clinical Trial Nurse Navigation and Provider Communication Training,” will take five years. 

Nakhoda will conduct it with her co-principal investigators, Linda Fleisher, PhD, MPH, a Research Professor in the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Fox Chase and the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the College of Public Health at Temple University, and Zachary Frosch, MD, MSHP, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology and the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Fox Chase. 

RECONNECT will feature two main strategies — a new training system for providers and specialized screening and pre-enrollment services for patients. The researchers seek to address three main training strategies and their effects on the diversity of clinical trial participants. One approach focuses on a formal course that is evidence-based, stakeholder-guided, and highly participatory. Another focuses on educating providers in cultural competency and bilingualism. The third is a multilevel intervention combining the two. 

LLS is the world’s largest nonprofit dedicated specifically to creating a world without blood cancers. Since 1949, it has invested more than $1.7 billion in groundbreaking research, work that has pioneered many of today’s most innovative approaches. 

Its Equity in Access Research Program grants aim to provide more equitable access to care for patients and survivors of blood cancer. Last year’s cohort of grantees received a combined $3.8 million for projects focused on the quality of health insurance, financial toxicity among cancer patients, and the accessibility of specialized care centers. 

“While cancer can impact anyone, the unfortunate reality is that equitable access to high-quality, affordable treatment and care is out of reach for many, and no other organization is funding research specifically on equity in access for blood cancer patients and survivors,” said Eric Cooks, PhD, Senior Director of LLS’s Equity in Access Research Program. 

“As a leading cancer nonprofit, LLS is committed to transforming lives through our holistic approach across research, patient support, and advocacy, which includes advancing health equity and eliminating health disparities,” Cooks added. “This research is a first step toward helping all patients and survivors achieve meaningful access to the treatment and care they need when they need it.” 

RECONNECT has similar aspirations. “One of the key missions of Temple Health and Fox Chase is to provide equitable care to all our patients regardless of race and ethnicity. The funding through this grant will help us to better understand how we can achieve this mission,” said Nakhoda.