Poorer cancer patients are less likely to participate in clinical trials of cancer treatments than patients from higher-income brackets.
According to a study published in the journal JAMA Oncology on Oct. 15, cancer patients whose annual household incomes fall below $50,000 were 32 percent less likely to participate in clinical trials.
Joseph M. Unger of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and his team of researchers used data gathered from eight cancer clinics. A total of 1581 patients diagnosed with breast, lung or colorectal cancer participated in the study, with annual income data available for further study from at least 80 percent of them.
Many cancer patients from all income groups may not take part in clinical trials for varied reasons, such as not being able to meet the eligibility requirements set by a study. In their study sample, the researchers found that only 17 percent of people with over $50,000 in annual income took part in a clinical trial. Of those whose annual income falls between the $20,000 $49,999 range, only 13 percent joined a trial, while only 11 percent of those who earned below $20,000 annually participated in clinical trials.
The researchers found that for low-income patients, participating in clinical trials could translate to more expenses, citing additional costs such as transportation to trial sites, time off work and child care.
"Lower-income patients are likely more sensitive to marginal financial expenditures than higher-income patients," the researchers wrote in their study.
The researchers said that income disparities when it comes to clinical trials are not addressed as adequately as those concerning other areas of health care.
"The issue of income disparities in clinical trial participation has been poorly addressed," the researchers added. "Limiting income disparities is important for ensuring rapid enrollment and fair access to trials."
Based on their findings, the team concluded that the income gap can harm both patients and scientists since the latter miss the opportunity to get a clearer picture of the effectiveness of new treatments, considering that people with lower incomes usually tend to be of poorer health.
They agreed that providing incentives or reimbursements, or covering miscellaneous expenses such as transportation and coinsurance, could help but these should not make the patients feel coerced to participate.
They also recommend for clinicians to be aware of the needs of lower-income patients who are more sensitive to marginal costs of participating in clinical trials.
Photo: Stephen Dickter | Flickr
