New strategies for enhancing enrollment of underrepresented minorities in lymphoma clinical trials

New lymphoma treatments, including chimeric antigen receptor T cells, bispecific antibodies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, have significantly improved patient outcomes. Despite these therapeutic advances, only 2% to 3% of adult patients with cancer participate in clinical trials. This participation is even lower among certain groups, including ethnic and racial minorities, individuals with low socioeconomic status, rural residents, older adults, and young adults. Underrepresentation of these groups in clinical trials limits the generalizability of trial results and is detrimental to those populations that do not receive equal access to novel therapies. Although racial and ethnic minorities constitute >40% of the US population, they make up only ~15% of clinical trial participants. The US Food and Drug Administration now requires sponsors seeking regulatory approval for therapies via registrational clinical trials to submit a plan to ensure diversity among trial participants. This article addresses strategies for enhancing enrollment of underrepresented minorities in lymphoma clinical trials.