title: The Development of a Minority Recruitment Plan for Cancer Clinical Trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer does not occur in all ethnic and racial groups at similar rates. In addition, responses to treatment also vary in certain ethnic and racial groups. For Hispanics, the overall cancer incidence is generally lower yet for some specific tumor types, the incidence rates are higher compared to other populations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Although disparities are recognized for treatment outcomes and prevention methodologies for Hispanics and other minority populations, specific recruiting and reporting of minorities remains a challenge. In order to circumvent this problem, the Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC) has developed a new minority recruitment plan for all cancer related clinical trials at this Institute. The overall goal of this initiative is to increase the accrual of minorities in cancer clinical trials by implementing several key interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio established the Clinical Trials Accrual Task Force to develop and monitor interventions designed to increase accrual to cancer clinical trials, specifically the accrual of minorities with a focus on the Hispanic population that makes up 68% of the CTRC's catchment area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A Minority Accrual Plan (MAP) was implemented in March 2013 as part of the process for initiating and conducting cancer-related clinical trials at the CTRC. The Minority Accrual Plan focuses on Hispanic enrollment due to the characteristics of the South Texas population served by the CTRC but could be easily adapted to other populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CTRC has designed a process to prospectively address the challenge of deliberately enrolling minority subjects and accurately accounting for the results by implementing a Minority Accrual Plan for every cancer-related clinical trial at CTRC.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trevino
authors.affiliation: Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA ; Departments of Urology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Padalecki
authors.affiliation: Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA ; Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karnad
authors.affiliation: Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.affiliation: Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA ; Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weitman
authors.affiliation: Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nashawati
authors.affiliation: Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA ; Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: Brad H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Pollock
authors.affiliation: Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA ; Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA ; Institute for Health Promotions Research, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: Amelie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.affiliation: Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA ; Departments of Urology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Thompson
keywords: Accrual; Barriers; Cancer; Clinical trials enrollment; Disparities; Minority