Bringing It to the Community: Successful Programs that Increase the Use of Clinical Preventive Services by Vulnerable Older Populations
Published Date: April 28, 2021

​This fact sheet presents findings from interviews, discussions, and studies from the report Barriers to Metastatic Breast Cancer Care in California: A report to the California Breast Cancer Research Program. Specifically, the fact sheet assesses barriers to accessing and enrolling in clinical trials and recommendations on policy solutions that could improve survivors’ understanding of and access to care options for breast cancer that has metastasized.

Summary:  

  • Clinical trials are a key part of improving treatment for breast cancer, including metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, the value of clinical trials for improving racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in care will only be realized if trials include diverse participant samples. 
  • Barriers to enrollment in trials include poor awareness and lack of user-friendly information about trials, difficulties in accessing trial sites, and lack of clarity about whether or not trial costs are covered by insurance.
  • While some policy efforts have been made to address the cost barriers to trial participation, more work can be done to ensure diverse racial/ethnic representation.

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Authors
AJ Scheitler, EdD Susan H. Babey, PhD Riti Shimkhada, PhD Beth Glenn Ninez A. Ponce, PhD, MPP