HJBR Jul/Aug 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  JUL / AUG 2023 57 Constance Blunt, MD Hematologist and Oncologist Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center simplify and expand eligibility guidelines. Improving community outreach and imple- menting navigation programs can increase minority participation in clinical trials. Can- cer centers around the country implement precision oncology and have dedicated re- search teams continually evaluating patients for trials. They present this information early in the patient’s cancer journey, helping to in- crease knowledge and involvement in these pivotal studies. A multidisciplinary approach to cancer care has been the backbone to providing quality treatment. Care teams include medi- cal oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncol- ogists, genetic counselors, palliative care specialists, and nurse navigators. Access to a multidisciplinary care team can help to overcome socioeconomic barriers and improve treatment timeliness and quality. Nurse navigators play a pivotal role in ad- dressing disparities. They provide the sup- port that guides patients through treatment and provide social needs like housing and transportation. In addition, they help im- prove emotional support by connecting pa- tients to support groups and spiritual care. Finally, and most importantly, they assist a patient in ensuring their needs are ad- dressed promptly. While the problemwith healthcare equity starts in the community, the solution also lies there. Healthcare and community or- ganizations nationwide are seeking to close this gap. Outreach and education help em- power patients to advocate for themselves, discuss family cancer history, and seek can- cer screenings. n REFERENCES American Association for Cancer Research, AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report. Philadelphia, 2022. Available from CancerDisparitiesProgressReport.org. Constance Blunt, MD, is a hematologist and oncolo- gist at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center,specializing in diagnosing and treating cancerous blood disorders and solid tumors. Blunt is a graduate of Baylor Uni- versity inWaco,Texas,where she received a Bachelor of Science in forensic science.She obtained a Doctor of Medicine at Texas A&MHealth Science Center in Temple.In 2018,she completed a hematology and on- cology fellowship at LSUHeath Science Center.She is licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners and is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. generalizability of the results and provide an opportunity to study differences in cancer biology and responses to therapy across different subgroups. A study performed at Howard University Cancer Center evaluated clinical trial barriers for AfricanAmericans. They estimated that overall minority par- ticipation in clinical trials was 3 to 20%. The eligibility rate was 8.5%. Among those eli- gible, the enrollment rate was 60%; however, comorbidities rendered 17% of the patient population ineligible for the trial. Advanced disease — associated with poor performance status, premature death, and short life ex- pectancy — made an additional 10% of the patient population ineligible. Comorbidi- ties documented in that population included respiratory failure, HIV, and anemia. Com- mon illnesses like cardiovascular disease and renal insufficiency accounted for 16.2% of comorbidities (AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report, 2022). Ultimately, persons of color with other medical problems besides cancer are less likely to be asked to participate in clinical trials or did not meet the criteria for par- ticipation. One strategy to combat this is to “While the problem with healthcare equity starts in the community, the solution also lies there. ... Outreach and education help empower patients to advocate for themselves, discuss family cancer history, and seek cancer screenings.”