Citations 102

Comparative health-related quality of life (QoL) in metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC): A living systematic review.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 29, 2024 | Volume: 42 | Issue: 4_suppl | Pages: 111-111

10.1200/jco.2024.42.4_suppl.111

111 Background: Comparative evidence of quality of life (QoL) outcomes regarding life-prolonging treatments for the management of first-line treatment of metastatic castration sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) is not known. Methods: This systematic review uses the living interactive evidence synthesis framework (PMID: 36862387). Phase III randomized controlled trials assessing contemporary systemic treatments in mCSPC were included. Small sample size adjusted standardized mean differences (SMD; Hedges’ g) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed for global QoL at 3, 6, 12, and 24 mo. Positive SMD indicated better health-related QoL, with zero indicating a null effect. Mixed treatment comparisons were made using a network meta-analysis. P-scores were computed; a higher score indicated better QoL. Results: Of 10 clinical trials initially included, eight trials (15 references) reported QoL. At 3mo global QoL was improved with abiraterone (AAP)+ADT compared to D+ADT (SMD: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.13-0.39), enzalutamide (E)+ADT (0.18; 0.03-0.33), and ADT (0.14; 0.02-0.27). At 6mo, AAP+ADT significantly improved global QoL compared to D+ADT (0.74; 0.62-0.87), E+ADT (1.74; 1.56-1.92), and ADT (1.79; 1.65-1.93). D+ADT also improved global QoL at 6mo compared to ADT (1.05; 0.93-1.16) but not when compared to E+ADT. At 12mo, AAP+ADT improved global QoL compared to E+ADT (0.20; 0.05-0.34) and ADT (0.19; 0.07-0.31) but not compared to D+ADT (0.05; -0.07-0.17). D+ADT also improved global QoL at 12mo compared to ADT (0.14; 0.03-0.24) (Table). Global QoL has not been reported for ARASENS trial at this time. These results are available on the Living interactive website. Conclusions: The totality of evidence suggests improved global QoL with androgen-pathway inhibitors (API) doublet therapy. D+ADT may offer better QoL at longer 6 and 12 months of follow-up. QoL data for triplet therapy is still emerging and will be incorporated in the living review as soon as it becomes available. [Table: see text]
Toxicity Profile of Janus Kinase Inhibitors (JAKi) in Patients with Myelofibrosis: A Report from a Living Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 6433-6433

10.1182/blood-2023-188107

Background Janus kinase inhibitors are actively investigated for treating various hematological, rheumatological, gastrointestinal and dermatological indications. Thus, we have initiated a living systematic review to define the toxicity profile of JAKi agents. Here, we report an up-to-date assessment of toxicity profile of JAKi in patients with myelofibrosis. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL were systematically searched from each database's inception through June 13, 2023, to identify phase I/II/III clinical trials assessing JAKi in myelofibrosis reporting adverse events. The main outcomes of interest included incidence rates of all-cause and treatment-related grade ≥ 3, grade 5 and all-grade AEs of interest (infections, hematological, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular adverse events). Incidence rates (incidence per 100-person-years) for AEs of interest were calculated at the level of each trial. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to pool the incidence rates of AEs using an inverse-variance approach. Results The literature search identified 2044 studies from which 28 clinical trials (33 references) met the inclusion criteria - 4 (14%) trials were phase I, 4 (14%) trials were phase I/II, 13 (46%) trials were phase II, and 7 (25%) trials were phase III. A total of 4505 participants received JAKi and were eligible for analysis. All-cause and treatment-related hematological toxicities were reported in 28 (100%) and 18 (64%) trials, all-cause and treatment-related gastrointestinal toxicities were reported in 28 (100%) and 18 (64%) trials, all-cause and treatment-related cardiovascular toxicities were reported in 20 (71%) and 12 (43%) trials whereas all-cause and treatment-related infections were reported in 26 (93%) and 14 (50%) trials, respectively. The incidence rate per 100-person years for all-cause and treatment related adverse events of interest are summarized in Table 1a and 1b respectively. For treatment-related AEs, the incidence of grade ≥ 3 diarrhea with JAKi is 8.50 (95% CI: 5.34-13.53) events per 100-person years. The incidence of treatment-related grade ≥ 3 anemia and thrombocytopenia is 39.40 (95% CI: 25.57-60.71) and 29.25 (95% CI: 20.12-42.51) events per 100-person years respectively. The incidence of treatment-related grade 5 diarrhea with JAKi is 2.15 (95% CI: 1.07-4.29) events per 100-person years whereas the incidence of treatment-related grade 5 anemia and thrombocytopenia is 2.03 (95% CI: 1.04-3.97) and 2.01 (95% CI: 1.02-3.93) events per 100-person years respectively. For all-cause AEs, the incidence of grade ≥ 3 nausea, vomiting and diarrhea with JAKi is 1.72 (95% CI: 0.97-3.05), 3.56 (95% CI: 1.92-6.61) and 5.29 (95% CI: 3.48-8.04) events per 100-person years respectively. The incidence of all-cause grade ≥ 3 infections with JAKi is 4.38 (95% CI: 1.95-9.83) events per 100-person years whereas the incidence of all-cause grade ≥ 3 respiratory tract infections with JAKi is 4.21 (95% CI: 2.41-7.36) events per 100-person years. The incidence of all-cause grade ≥ 3 anemia, neutrophil decrease and thrombocytopenia is 46.83 (95% CI: 32.68-67.11), 29.11 (95% CI: 14.86-57.02) and 34.39 (95% CI: 23.82-49.64) events per 100-person years respectively. Moreover, the incidence of all-cause grade 5 nausea, vomiting and diarrhea with JAKi is 1.25 (95% CI: 0.72-2.18), 2.01 (95% CI: 1.08-3.74) and 1.60 (95% CI: 0.94-2.72) events per 100-person years respectively. In addition, the incidence of all-cause grade 5 infections and infestations is 3.71 (95% CI: 1.96-7.04) events per 100-person years with the incidence of grade 5 respiratory tract infections being 1.66 (95%CI: 0.89-3.10) events per 100-person years. Furthermore, the incidence of all-cause grade 5 anemia, neutrophil decrease and thrombocytopenia is 2.10 (95% CI: 1.26-3.52), 3.00 (95% CI: 1.25-7.21) and 1.95 (95% CI: 1.15-3.33) events per 100-person years respectively. Conclusions This report of living systematic review provides the best current evidence on toxicity profile of JAKi in patients with myelofibrosis. Current evidence suggests an overall higher incidence of all grade and grade ≥ 3 treatment related gastrointestinal adverse events in patients receiving JAKi. This living review will be updated as soon as new data becomes available.
Efficacy of Maintenance Therapies By Prognostic Subgroups in Post-Transplant Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 3348-3348

10.1182/blood-2023-190200

Introduction The optimal maintenance regimen by prognostic categories remains unclear in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) to assess the comparative effectiveness of novel agents by different prognostic groups. Methods A comprehensive systematically structured literature search was conducted to identify phase II/III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating maintenance therapies in post-transplant NDMM patients and reporting data by subgroups including but not limited to international staging system (ISS), and cytogenetic risk. High cytogenetic risk (HCR) and standard cytogenetic risk (SCR) were defined in accordance with the eligible trials. Main outcomes of interest were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Precomputed hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CI were pooled using an inverse variance approach. A frequentist network meta-analysis was conducted. P-score (PS) were used to assess relative rankings of the treatments and were interpreted in congruency with pairwise estimates. Higher ranks indicated better efficacy. Results This NMA included six RCTs with 4119 participants and six unique treatment arms. In patients with SCR, the combination of carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (KRd) improved PFS when compared to lenalidomide (Len; HR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.24-0.81), daratumumab (Dara; 0.27; 0.13-0.55), ixazomib (Ixa; 0.26; 0.13-0.53), and no maintenance therapy (0.17; 0.09-0.32). Similarly, KR improved PFS compared to lenalidomide (Len; 0.56; 0.33-0.96), daratumumab (Dara; 0.34; 0.18-0.65), ixazomib (Ixa; 0.33; 0.17-0.63), and no maintenance therapy (0.21; 0.12-0.38). There was no statistically significant difference between KRd and KR. KRd was ranked as potentially the most efficacious treatment (rank 1) followed by KR (rank 2), Len (rank 3), Dara (rank 4), and Ixa (rank 5) for improving PFS in SCR. In patients with HCR, KRd (0.35; 0.14-0.92), KR (0.32; 0.15-0.67), Dara (0.43; 0.25-0.73), and Len (0.48; 0.35-0.64) improved PFS when compared to no maintenance therapy. No other significant differences were observed in HCR patients. KR was ranked as potentially the most efficacious treatment followed by KRd (rank 2), Dara (rank 3), Len (rank 5), and Ixa (rank 5) for PFS in HCR patients. In patients with ISS-I/II, KRd and KR improved PFS when compared to Dara (KRd vs. Dara - 0.32; 0.16-0.65, KR vs Dara - 0.50; 0.26-0.94), and Ixa (KRd vs. Ixa - 0.22; 0.11-0.45, KR vs Ixa - 0.35; 0.18-0.65). KRd, not KR, improved PFS when compared to Len (0.41; 0.22-0.76). Rankings were consistent with those observed in SCR patients. No significant differences were observed among mixed treatment comparisons for ISS-III patients. Limited number of trials reporting OS precluded formal assessment. Conclusions The current data suggest that KRd and KR may delay disease progression regardless of risk category. Overall survival data is still emerging and, if consistent, may influence clinical practice. We maintain a living meta-analysis to incorporate new evidence constantly.
Cardiovascular (CV) Mortality Among Adults Diagnosed with Leukemias: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 2426-2426

10.1182/blood-2023-190472

Background CV mortality has been recognized as the preventable cause of death in most cancers. However, there is a scarcity of data exploring CV mortality in adults diagnosed with leukemia. Hence, understanding the timing, and quantifying the magnitude of CV mortality can facilitate strategies to reduce the burden of mortality in these patients. Methods Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2004-2018) was queried to obtain CV mortality (defined as deaths due to heart diseases, hypertension, cerebrovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, and aortic aneurysm and dissection) in adults (>18 years of age) diagnosed with leukemias including acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated. SMR was defined as the observed deaths from each category divided by the expected number of deaths in the age-matched US population for the same period. SMR >1 indicated increased while <1 indicated decreased mortality. SMR was presented by latency periods of <2, 2-5, and >5 years after the initial diagnosis of leukemias and stratified by age (<50 years, 50-70 years, >70 years), race (White, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American), ethnicity (Hispanic, Non-Hispanic), and marital status (married vs single/divorced/widowed). Results This analysis included 120,193 leukemia patients. Of which, 61,763 had lymphocytic leukemia and 58,430 were diagnosed with myeloid leukemia. In overall population, a significant increase in mortality was observed in adults diagnosed with leukemia (SMR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.27-1.40). The risk of CV death was highest <2 years of initial diagnosis (1.94, 1.87-2.01) as compared to the population who died 2-5 years (1.17, 1.11-1.23) and >5 years (1.07, 1.01-1.14) after the initial diagnosis. In terms of different subgroups, patients aged <50 years observed the highest risk of CV mortality within < 2 years (9.35, 6.54-13.38) compared to patients aged 50-70 years (2.73, 2.45-3.04), and aged >70 years (1.80, 1.73-1.88). Similarly, regarding race, Asians/Pacific islanders had the highest risk of CV mortality (4.41, 3.70-5.26) followed by Blacks (2.58, 2.26-2.94), and Whites (1.85, 1.78-1.92) within <2 years of initial diagnosis. There was a significant increase in observed mortality in Hispanic (2.83, 2.47-3.23) as well as in non-Hispanic (1.90, 1.83-1.97) population within <2 years of initial diagnosis. However, the magnitude was relatively higher in Hispanic as compared to non-Hispanics. The risk of CV death was observed to be higher in single/divorced/widowed patients (2.30, 2.00-2.20) compared to those who were married (1.81, 1.71-1.91). The CV mortality risk remained consistent for all subtypes of leukemias (ALL, CLL, AML and CML) in overall patient population and among subgroups of interest over different latency periods of <2, 2-5, and > 5years after the initial diagnosis. Small sample size in Native Americans precluded any meaningful statistics. Conclusions: Risk of CV mortality among adults with leukemia is observed to be highest among younger (<50 years), Asians, Hispanics, and single/divorced/widowed patients, especially within 2 years of initial diagnosis. A risk-adapted approach may be warranted for cardiovascular care in these patients. Targeted cardio-oncological strategies should be aimed at improving CV mortality in patients who are at the highest risk of death.
Patient Cost Savings When Using Telehealth for Management of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 6409-6409

10.1182/blood-2023-187931

Introduction: Telemedicine has been widely utilized in the healthcare marketplace since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last 3 years, virtual care has been widely employed in the care of patients with polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and myelofibrosis (MF) at Mayo Clinic. These rare disorders have few experts; therefore, telemedicine becomes an optimal approach for patients receive expert care even when they are not close to the medical center. 1 Additionally, telemedicine reduces financial burden for the patients. We aim to estimate potential cost savings to patients utilizing telemedicine. Methods: We identified patients with MPN seen at Mayo Clinic, Arizona who have had at least 2 visits (1 or more virtual visits) between March 2020 and June 2022. We extracted retrospective data from electronic medical records (EMR) including sociodemographic data, disease related data and number of visits - both virtual and in person - of the patients identified. The address recorded from the EMR was assumed to be the patient's location at the time of virtual visit. Driving distances were determined using zip codes in Google Maps and the patients were stratified into quartiles based on round trip travel distances. Patients in quartiles 1 through 3 were assumed to have driven while patients in quartile 4 were assumed to have traveled by plane. Patients in quartile 1 were assumed to have 1 travel day including the follow-up visit and no accommodation, patients in quartile 2 were assumed to have 2 travel days including the follow up visit and 1 night of accommodation whereas patients in quartiles 3 and 4 were assumed to have 2 travel days, 1 day for the follow up visit and 2 nights of accommodation. Mileage rate costs were based on US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) standard mileage rates for medical or moving purposes for 2021. 2 Owing to extreme variability in flight costs, flying costs were assumed to be equal to the driving costs. Per diem costs for accommodation and meals and incidentals were based on the US General Services Administration (GSA) 2021 rates for Phoenix 3 with the cost being 75% of the full per diem rate on traveling days via GSA formulaic approach. Results: One hundred and eight patients having 282 virtual visits were identified. Patients ranged from 30 - 87 years with the mean and median age of 65 years and 67 years respectively. Majority of the patients were female (62%) and white (98%) with gender distribution varying by distance. Descriptive statistics of the estimated out-of-pocket costs for patients by distance quartiles are summarized in Table 1a. Mean estimated cost savings ranged from $46.8 to $877.3 with the savings of $43.8 - $1372.2 at extremes. The total cost savings by all patients was $90,306.7. The breakdown of costs by category for each quartile is shown in Table 1b which shows that the majority of costs saved by patients in quartile 1 were due to avoiding costs spent on meals and incidentals (~90% of mean costs) whereas costs saved due to meals and incidentals for patients in quartile 4 were only ~16% of the mean costs. Conclusions: Our research highlighted telemedicine as a cost-effective approach for patients with MPN who received virtual care from March 2020 - June 2022. Study limitations included not weighing costs for childcare or accompanying individuals and using driving costs instead of flying costs, however, these considerations potentially underestimate the actual cost savings to the patient. Additionally, since the median age of this population was 65, we didn't include loss of wages to the analysis, which may further underestimate the costs. Despite concerns over billing, reimbursement, and state licensure, virtual care is being established as a critical part of medicine moving forward. 1. Doolittle, G.C. and A.O. Spaulding, Providing Access to Oncology Care for Rural Patients via Telemedicine. Journal of Oncology Practice, 2006. 2(5): p. 228-230. 2. Internal Revenue Service. Standard mileage rates for 2021. Available at: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/standard-mileage-rates 3. US General Services Administration. Per diem rates. Available at: https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates/per-diem-rates-results?action=perdiems_report&fiscal_year=2021&state=AZ&city=&zip=85054
S1187 Fecal Microbiota Transplantation and Clinical Outcomes Among Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: An Umbrella Review

American Journal of Gastroenterology | October 18, 2023 | Volume: 118 | Issue: 10S | Pages: S907-S907

10.14309/01.ajg.0000954388.76188.f5

Comparative Effectiveness of Anticoagulants in Patients With Cancer-Associated Thrombosis

JAMA Network Open | July 24, 2023 | Volume: 6 | Issue: 7 | Pages: e2325283

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.25283 | PMID 37486628

ImportancePatterns of clinical utilization and comparative effectiveness of anticoagulants for cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) remain largely unexplored.ObjectivesTo assess patterns of and factors associated with anticoagulant use and to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of contemporary anticoagulants in patients with active cancer in a clinical setting.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis retrospective cohort study obtained deidentified OptumLabs electronic health record claims data from January 1, 2012, to September 30, 2019. Adult patients (≥18 years of age) with a primary cancer diagnosis (except skin cancer) during at least 1 inpatient or 2 outpatient visits within 6 months before the venous thromboembolism (VTE) date were included. Data were analyzed from April 2020 to September 2021.ExposuresThe patients were grouped according to the anticoagulant prescribed: (1) direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), (2) low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), and (3) warfarin.Main Outcomes and MeasuresOdds ratios (ORs) were used to present the association between factors of interest and utilization of anticoagulants. Main efficacy outcomes included risk of VTE recurrence and all-cause mortality. Main safety outcomes included the risk of hospitalization due to major bleeding. Relative treatment effect estimates were expressed as hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs.ResultsThis study included 5100 patients (mean [SD] age, 66.3 [12.3] years; 2670 [52.4%] women; 799 [15.7%] Black, 389 [7.6%] Hispanic, and 3559 [69.8%] White individuals). Overall, 2512 (49.3%), 1488 (29.2%), and 1460 (28.6%) filled prescriptions for DOACs, LMWH, and warfarin, respectively. The median (IQR) treatment duration was 3.2 (1.0-6.5) months for DOACs, 3.1 (1.0-6.8) months for warfarin, and 1.8 (0.9-3.8) months for LWMH. Patients with lung (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.12-3.65), urological (OR, 1.94; 95% CI,1.08-3.49), gynecological (OR, 4.25; 95% CI, 2.31-7.82), and colorectal (OR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.20-4.32) cancer were associated with increased prescriptions for LMWH compared with DOACs. LMWH (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.14-1.90) and warfarin (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.13-1.87) were associated with an increased risk of VTE recurrences compared with DOACs. LMWH was associated with an increased risk of major bleeding (HR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.62-3.20) and higher all-cause mortality (HR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.15-2.25) compared with DOACs.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this comparative effectiveness study of claims-based data, patients with CAT received anticoagulation for a remarkably short duration in clinical settings. DOACs was associated with a lower risk of VTE recurrence, major bleeding, and mortality. Warfarin may still be considered for patients with contraindications to DOACs and those with poor persistence on LMWH.
Incidence of second primary malignancies (SPMs) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) receiving anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs): A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 4, 2023 | Volume: 41 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: e24078-e24078

10.1200/jco.2023.41.16_suppl.e24078

e24078 Background: The addition of anti-CD38 mAbs, daratumumab and isatuximab, to standard anti-myeloma regimens have drawn scrutiny towards long-term safety concerns, including the risk of SPMs. ICARIA-MM study reported SPMs in 3.9% patients (pts.) in the Isatuximab, pomalidomide and dexamethasone (Isa-Pd) arm compared to 0.7% in the Pd arm. We hypothesized that exposure to anti-CD38 mAbs could potentially increase risk of SPMs due to prolonged immunosuppression. An assessment of this association is warranted, given the improved life expectancy and growing prevalence of pts. with MM. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis on data obtained from RCTs published between January 2005 and April 2022 that compared anti-CD38 mAb-based regimens to other standard anti-myeloma regimens (control) in pts. with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory (r/r) MM. Total number of SPMs (including categories) were extracted for pts. in both groups. Malignant melanomas were included under solid SPM category. Binary outcome data were analyzed using fixed-effect Peto method. Treatment effect estimates were expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). I2 > 50% indicated substantial heterogeneity. Results: 10 RCTs involving 4980 pts. were included, with 2824 (57%) and 2156 (43%) pts. randomized to the anti-CD38 mAb and control arms, respectively (Table). Overall, 191 and 112 SPMs were reported in the anti-CD38 mAb and control arms, respectively. At a median follow-up of 35.3 months, anti-CD38 mAb exposure was associated with an increased risk of developing SPMs compared to control (6.8% vs. 5.2%; OR: 1.53 [95% CI: 1.20-1.95]; I2= 0%). Non-melanoma cutaneous cancers were the most common, and higher in the anti-CD38 mAb vs. control arms (92 versus 47; OR: 1.77 [95% CI: 1.25-2.51]; I2= 0%). The increase in solid cancers (including melanoma) (OR: 1.28 [95% CI: 0.85-1.95]) and hematologic SPMs (OR: 1.86; [95% CI: 0.81-4.27] was not significant. On sensitivity analysis, the total number of SPMs were higher in the anti-CD38 mAb arm vs. control arm, regardless of the presence of immunomodulatory drugs in combination regimen. Conclusions: This meta-analysis shows an increased risk of SPMs in pts. with MM exposed to daratumumab or isatuximab, particularly that of non-invasive cutaneous tumors. This association should be further investigated in real-world settings using large databases. [Table: see text]
Disparity in regional recruitment across global cancer trials: A meta-analysis.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 4, 2023 | Volume: 41 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 6636-6636

10.1200/jco.2023.41.16_suppl.6636

6636 Background: Equitable regional enrollment in clinical trials is critical to addressing global inequities in health care outcomes. Therefore, we quantified disparities in regional recruitment in global cancer trials. Methods: Phase II/III clinical trials in prostate (PC), breast (BC), colorectal (CRC) and lung cancer (LC), and reporting regional recruitment were identified from Medline. Global regions were defined as North-(NA) and South- America (SA), Europe (EU), Africa (AF), Asia (AS), and Australia (AU). For multi-regional trials, enrollment incidence ratios (EIR) which compare region-wise trial enrollment against global estimates of region-wise specific cancer incidence obtained from Global Burden of Disease 2019 database. Trial-level EIRs were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. A pooled EIR of < 1.0 indicates underrepresentation of a particular region in clinical trial enrollment compared to the actual burden of the specific cancer in that region. Statistical analyses were conducted in R v4.1.2. Results: Of the total 2125 trials identified, 1681 (79.1%) trials with 691,800 participants reported information regarding regional recruitment. Among those, only 1400 (65.9%) trials reported proportions of patients from pre-defined regions. A total of 1231 (57.9%) trials were single-regional recruiting patients from EU (589; 47.8%), NA (329; 26.7%), AS (295; 23.9%), AU (10; 0.8%), AF (4; 0.3%), and SA (4; 0.3%). There was significant underrepresentation of patients from AS (EIR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.41-0.54) in cancer clinical trials. This was consistent across different cancers: PC (0.49; 0.35-0.71), BC (0.63; 0.43-0.94), CRC (0.63; 0.43-0.94), LC (0.39; 0.30-0.50). Similarly, there is a trend of under-representation of patients from AF (0.67; 0.43-1.04). Consistently, patients from were under-represented in PC (0.43; 0.24-0.77) and LC (0.26; 0.09-0.79) trials. Patients from NA (1.27; 1.08-1.51), EU (1.64; 1.57-1.72), and AU (5.41; 3.90-7.51) were significantly over-represented in multi-regional cancer clinical trials. The results are provided in table. Conclusions: There is suboptimal reporting of region-wise enrollment in cancer clinical trials. Representation of Africa and Asia in cancer clinical trials appears to be less than their expected share based on their burden of cancer incidence. [Table: see text]
Source of funding and enrollment disparity in cancer clinical trials.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 4, 2023 | Volume: 41 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 6559-6559

10.1200/jco.2023.41.16_suppl.6559

6559 Background: Recent findings that Black and Hispanic patients were significantly underrepresented in industry-sponsored prostate cancer trials warrant a detailed investigation across cancer types to assess the association between funding source and enrollment disparities. Methods: Phase II/III clinical trials in prostate, breast, colorectal, and lung cancers reporting age, gender, race/ethnicity, and reporting NIH or industry as the funding source were considered eligible for inclusion. For age, and gender analysis, all trials were considered eligible. For race/ethnicity analysis, trials recruiting from the United States (US) were considered eligible. Enrollment-incidence ratios (EIR) comparing trial proportion from age/gender or racial/ethnic subgroups against global cancer incidence in the corresponding group (from Global Burden of Disease) or US-population-based incidence in the corresponding racial/ethnic subgroup (from SEER 22), were computed. Trial-level EIRs were pooled using a random-effects model and subsequently stratified by funding source. A univariate meta-regression was conducted to assess the temporal changes in EIR by each funding category. Results: Of 42,390 studies initially identified, 2234 trials (1989-2021) met the eligibility criteria. Regarding age, 361 (16%) trials reported age categories by 65 years threshold. Of 698 trials recruiting from the US, 498 (71%) reported race, and 198 (28%) reported ethnicity. Regarding representation, older adults were under-represented (EIR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.62-0.70) in the industry but not in NIH-sponsored clinical trials (0.79; 0.62-1.00). Regarding gender, no significant disparity was observed regarding the enrollment of men and women in colorectal and lung cancer clinical trials. In terms of race, there was a greater under-representation of Black patients in industry sponsored trials (0.29; 0.26-0.32) as compared to NIH-sponsored clinical trials (0.65; 0.57-0.74) [Pint <0.01]. Asian patients were significantly overrepresented in industry sponsored trials (3.17; 2.69-3.74) but not in NIH sponsored clinical trials (1.43; 0.85-2.41) [Pint <0.01]. Hispanic patients were significantly under-represented in both, industry (0.27; 0.22-0.34) and NIH-sponsored clinical trials (0.35; 0.22-0.55) [Pint 0.32]. Secondary analyses including trials recruiting exclusively from the US, and analyses by specific cancer types showed consistent results. Recruitment of older adults, men, and Black patients is decreasing over time. Conclusions: There is a consistent under-representation of older adults in industry-sponsored, and of Black and Hispanic patients in both industry-sponsored and NIH-sponsored clinical trials. The under-representation of Black patients is likely to be greater in industry-sponsored trials, which has worsened over the last three decades.