title: Perceptions of Cancer Clinical Research Among African American Men in North Carolina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The authors are grateful to the men and women who participated in our Focus Groups and shared with us their very personal cancer experience. Their insight is valuable, and will inform and improve cancer care for future generations. The authors thank the Greensboro area Community Research Advocates - especially April Durr, Elvira Mebane, Marie McAdoo, Kathy Norcott, and Cindy Taylor - who assisted in the conduct of the study, including interpretation of results. They also thank Gratia Wright of First Research Group for her expertise in moderating and executing all of the focus groups, and Lindsey Haynes-Maslow for her assistance in responding to reviewer comments. The study was funded as a part of the Carolina Community Network program, funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (U01-CA114629). This study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The problem of cancer health disparities is substantial. Clinical trials are widely advocated as a means of reducing disparities and bringing state-of-the-art care to the broader community, where most cancer care is delivered. This study sought to develop a better understanding of why disproportionately few African American men enroll in clinical trials given their substantial cancer burden.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study applied community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods to design and conduct four focus groups of African American male cancer survivors and their caregivers in North Carolina.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among major themes, participants expressed confusion about the relationship between clinical trials, treatment, and research: signifying patient confusion and misinterpretation of common clinical trial terminology. Social norms including gender barriers and generational differences remain problematic; participants often reported that men do not talk about health issues, are unwilling to go to the doctor, and exhibit misapprehension and distrust regarding trials. Participants perceived this misunderstanding as detrimental to community health and expressed the need for more clarity in clinical trials information and a more fundamental social openness and communication about cancer detection and treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings indicate the importance of clinical trial education in both traditional provider referral to trials and also in general patient navigation. To dispel pervasive misapprehension regarding placebos, clinical trial information should emphasize the role of standard care in modern cancer treatment trials. Many participants described willingness to participate in a trial upon physician recommendation, suggesting merit in improving patient-physician communication through culturally competent terminology and trial referral systems.
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Laurel C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Trantham
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. Electronic address: bill.carpenter@unc.edu.
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Lisa D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: DiMartino
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Brandolyn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Randall
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teal
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Giselle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corbie-Smith
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina; Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Godley
keywords: African Americans; Racial disparities; cancer; clinical research; community-based participatory research