Racial and ethnic equity in clinical trial consideration and enrollment among patients presented at gynecologic oncology tumor board

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-23-2026

Publication Title

Gynecologic Oncology Reports

Abstract

Background: Tumor boards are multidisciplinary cancer conferences held to review clinical data, evidence-based guidelines, latest literature, and available clinical trials for each case that is discussed.

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to review the demographics of patients with gynecologic malignancies presented at tumor board and if there are any statistically significant differences in clinical trial enrollment by race or ethnicity.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed from January 2019 to June 2022. Demographic data were analyzed for all patients presented at the LSU gynecological oncology tumor board. For each case presentation, data collected include whether a clinical trial was considered, if the trial was discussed with the patient, if the patient was offered participation, and if they enrolled.

Results: Our studies show that when patients are presented at tumor board, enrollment of Black and Hispanic patients were not statistically different from enrollment of white patients (p = 0.48). Other factors such as clinical determinants of health, sociocultural characteristics, and social factors also did not affect enrollment.

Discussion: Though minority races and ethnicities are widely underrepresented in clinical trials, this study suggests that the use of tumor board conferences can be an effective tool to promote equitable access to potential cancer treatments. A strength of this study is that it is conducted in New Orleans, which has a diverse and morbid population compared to the rest of the United States. A limitation is that our data comprises patient data from a single academic center with a limited sample size; thus, further evaluation of tumor board conferences on a multi-institutional scale would be beneficial.

Publisher

Elsevier

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