American Lung Association Launches Campaign to Improve Lung Cancer Care for Hispanic Individuals in Las Vegas

Here in Nevada, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, and nationally, Hispanic individuals with lung cancer were 16% less likely to be diagnosed early, 30% more likely to not receive any treatment, and 9% less likely to survive five years compared to white individuals in America. To improve lung cancer treatment for Hispanic individuals in Las Vegas and across the U.S., the American Lung Association is expanding its work through the Awareness, Trust and Action program to educate this community about clinical trials.

“In the past decade, clinical trials have contributed to rapidly advancing research, which has led to more individuals living with lung cancer exceeding the five-year survival rate than ever before. Unfortunately, this progress has not been shared equally amongst the populations facing high lung cancer burdens,” said Deborah Thompson, Executive Director at the Lung Association. “When Hispanic individuals enroll in clinical trials, they can benefit from the latest science and treatments, and researchers can learn about how lung cancer treatments work in different people. Unfortunately, Hispanic individuals are underrepresented in clinical trials, so it is critical to raise awareness about this important issue.”

Hispanic participants account for 16% of the population but only 1% of clinical trial participants. Clinical trials are highly monitored research studies that can test many things like how to prevent a disease, new ways to detect or diagnose a disease or new ways to treat a disease. Each participant in a clinical trial is treated with the highest level of care. Sometimes the most appropriate treatment option for a lung cancer patient is through a clinical trial.  

The Lung Association conducted interviews of both physicians and patients to identify challenges regarding Hispanic Americans and clinical trial enrollment. These interviews revealed these common themes:

• There is a need for clear, thorough and culturally appropriate education about clinical trials in the Hispanic community.
• More investment and buy-in from community stakeholders are needed, particularly those
  involved with the patient’s health, to improve enrollment and retention in clinical trials.
• There is some mistrust of the medical system, and specifically pharmaceutical companies, so it is important for healthcare providers to acknowledge the history of medical mistreatment in the Hispanic community, including the news-worthy cases and the care issues that exist in today’s world.
• There is a need for healthcare providers to discuss what the impact of the clinical trial participation will be and follow through on communication of that impact.

The Lung Association is expanding its Awareness, Trust and Action campaign, with a focus on the Las Vegas community, to:

• Raise awareness among Hispanic lung cancer patients/caregivers (as well as the larger Hispanic community) about the availability and importance of clinical trials as a treatment option for lung cancer;
• Address misconceptions and mistrust around clinical trials and convey their value as a potential treatment option; and
• Empower Hispanic individuals to take action by talking with their doctors about lung cancer clinical trials.

Learn more about the campaign here.

Support for this project provided in part by Genentech and Roche.