# Increasing Access and Participation to Early Phase Clinical Trials to the Underrepresented Populations

> **NIH NIH R50** · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $159,574

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Access to health care including clinical trials leading to paradigm-changing cancer treatments is critical for
high quality cancer care and equity in society. Differences in risks and cancer biology may contribute to disparities
in cancer outcome particularly if minority/underserved groups are underrepresented in clinical trials as impact of
newer cancer therapies may not be adequately evaluated in these populations. Compared to later phase clinical
trials, early phase trials are more complicated but are pivotal in the development of novel and more effective
therapies. Participation into early phase clinical trials is often the only way a patient can access potentially
effective novel therapies not yet available commercially. There is evidence of direct medical benefit, improvement
of quality of life, and achievement of psychological benefit in early phase trials. The challenge of engaging
minority/underserved populations is more profound in early phase clinical trials as they are generally more
complex and often accessible only in larger centers in the metropolitan areas.
 In this project, Dr. Baranda will continue to lead in the development of sustainable and intentional strategies
to extend access and increase participation to early phase Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network
(ETCTN) clinical trials to underrepresented populations including the veterans using a roadmap built from
lessons learned from the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) CATCH-UP.2020 (Create Access to Targeted Cancer
Therapy for Underserved Populations) program. Implementation of more rigorous analysis of areas of unmet
needs, efficiency in ETCTN clinical trial for timely activation, trial selection and prioritization, and engagement of
physicians throughout our catchment area will continue to be adopted in this project. A project for efficient
workflow in genomic characterization of patient tumors will allow identification of patients appropriate for
biomarker-driven ETCTN precision medicine clinical trials. KUCC will lead the Equity-Focused Clinical
Investigators Team within the ETCTN UM1 consortium through exchange of novel approaches among ETCTN
sites and ensuring the use of pragmatic approach in clinical trial design to prevent unnecessary burden to pts
and minimize load to the clinical trials operations in ETCTN.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10862992
- **Project number:** 1R50CA290098-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Joaquina C Baranda
- **Activity code:** R50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $159,574
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-07 → 2029-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10862992

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10862992, Increasing Access and Participation to Early Phase Clinical Trials to the Underrepresented Populations (1R50CA290098-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-13 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10862992. Licensed CC0.

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