To build this needed evidence base, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Equity in Access Research Program is collectively awarding nearly $5 million to health services researchers focused on identifying interventions that can be effective in increasing participation in therapeutic cancer clinical trials, particularly among underrepresented groups, and what resources are required to replicate them. Findings from these studies will inform LLS's and others' efforts to foster meaningful change in healthcare policy and practice to ultimately increase trial access and participation and help improve the lives of all cancer patients.
"Novel treatments available through clinical trials have the potential to lead to better outcomes for cancer patients, but lack of access and underrepresentation continue to constrain progress," said Eric Cooks, Ph.D., Senior Director, Equity in Access Research Program at LLS. "As a leading cancer nonprofit, LLS is committed to improving patients' lives through our holistic approach across research, patient support, and advocacy, which includes breaking down barriers that impede clinical trial participation. Research funded through Equity in Access is critical to helping all patients and survivors achieve meaningful access to the treatment and care they need when they need it."
LLS's Equity in Access Research Program 2025 Cohort
The program's fourth grantee cohort is comprised of the outstanding researchers below named in order of principal investigator followed by co-principal investigators for each study:
- Daphne Friedman, M.D. and Leah Zullig, Ph.D., MPH of the Durham VA Health Care System and members of the Duke Cancer Institute, will focus on increasing the number of therapeutic clinical trials for Veterans with blood cancers in the Veterans Administration (VA) and increasing their enrollment in these trials across 12 participating VA facilities. They will work to expand the clinical trial portfolio for those for blood cancers, provide trial navigation, and implement a patient-matching dashboard that helps research coordinators identify and assess trial eligibility. This study has the potential to generate new evidence that could be implemented across both VA and non-VA facilities to address the barrier of insufficient clinical trials for Veterans with hematologic malignancies, as well as the challenges of identifying and enrolling Veterans in available clinical trials.
- Andrew Hantel, M.D., Christopher Lathan, M.D., MPH, and Richard Stone, M.D., of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute will examine strategies to increase trial participation among patients from historically underrepresented groups – those minoritized by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status – by lowering trial design-related barriers and strengthening collaboration between academic and community sites of care. This study has the potential to generate evidence that advances effective and replicable strategies to increase trial enrollment for minoritized individuals with blood cancer by assessing promising but unconfirmed mechanisms for advancing trial enrollment equity, characterizing best practices for physician collaboration, patient navigation, trial design, and equity-focused infrastructure, and bridging the gap between rigorous science and the operational reality of clinical trials.
To learn more about these studies, including their design and methods, please visit this link.
Since 2021, the Equity in Access Research Program has awarded nearly $18 million in funding to support 15 high-impact health services research studies – and that number continues to grow. LLS proudly and gratefully acknowledges Royalty Pharma and AstraZeneca for their support of this program and other initiatives focused on reducing healthcare disparities in blood cancer care and treatment. For more information about the program's impact, click here.
About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is the global leader and innovator in creating a world without blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure blood cancer and improve the quality of life of all patients and their families. LLS is focused on accelerating research, providing free support and services, and advocating for policies to ensure access to quality, affordable care. For more than 75 years, LLS has been helping blood cancer patients live longer, better lives.
To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients can contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. Connect with us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.
Media Contact: Melissa Valentino [email protected]
SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)
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