title: National Cancer Institute's Cancer Disparities Research Partnership Program: Experience and Lessons Learned.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To increase access of underserved/health disparities communities to National Cancer Institute (NCI) clinical trials, the Radiation Research Program piloted a unique model - the Cancer Disparities Research Partnership (CDRP) program. CDRP targeted community hospitals with a limited past NCI funding history and provided funding to establish the infrastructure for their clinical research program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Initially, 5-year planning phase funding was awarded to six CDRP institutions through a cooperative agreement (U56). Five were subsequently eligible to compete for 5-year implementation phase (U54) funding and three received a second award. Additionally, the NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities supported their U56 patient navigation programs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Community-based hospitals with little or no clinical trials experience required at least a year to develop the infrastructure and establish community outreach/education and patient navigation programs before accrual to clinical trials could begin. Once established, CDRP sites increased their yearly patient accrual mainly to NCI-sponsored cooperative group trials (~60%) and Principal Investigator/mentor-initiated trials (~30%). The total number of patients accrued on all types of trials was 2,371, while 5,147 patients received navigation services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite a historical gap in participation in clinical cancer research, underserved communities are willing/eager to participate. Since a limited number of cooperative group trials address locally advanced diseases seen in health disparities populations; this shortcoming needs to be rectified. Sustainability for these programs remains a challenge. Addressing these gaps through research and public health mechanisms may have an important impact on their health, scientific progress, and efforts to increase diversity in NCI clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute , Rockville, MD , USA.
authors.forename: Rosemary S L
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Radiation Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute , Rockville, MD , USA.
authors.forename: Bhadrasain
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vikram
authors.affiliation: Radiation Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute , Rockville, MD , USA.
authors.forename: Frank S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Govern
authors.affiliation: Walking Forward Program, Rapid City Regional Hospital , Rapid City, SD , USA.
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Petereit
authors.affiliation: Coastal Carolina Radiation Oncology , Wilmington, NC , USA.
authors.forename: Patrick D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Maguire
authors.affiliation: Singing River Health System , Pascagoula, MS , USA.
authors.forename: Maggie R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Clarkson
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center McKeesport , McKeesport, PA , USA.
authors.forename: Dwight E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Heron
authors.affiliation: Radiation Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute , Rockville, MD , USA.
authors.forename: C Norman
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Coleman
keywords: access to clinical trials; cancer disparities; clinical research; patient accrual; underserved populations