Dr. Christabel Cheung and community partners examine clinical trial nonparticipation among women of color.
Associate Professor Christabel K. Cheung at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and colleagues published findings from a national, community-led study examining structural, informational, and cultural barriers to clinical trial participation among women of color, with particular attention to adolescents and young adults. Led by For the Breast of Us, a national advocacy organization for women of color affected by breast cancer, the sequential exploratory mixed-methods study integrated in-depth interviews with n=59 participants and a national survey of n=421 women of color across the United States, the majority of whom were adolescents and young adults. Findings identified five central barriers to clinical trial participation: distrust and historical harms, logistical and structural barriers, cultural relevance and representation, fear and silence, and access to health care and information. Age-stratified findings further revealed lower clinical trial knowledge and greater informational, trust-related, and practical barriers among women ages 19 to 30 compared with older participants. Published in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, the study underscores that barriers to clinical trial participation are structurally embedded and racially patterned and calls for transforming how clinical trials are built to better serve populations historically excluded from research.
Watch Dr. Cheung discuss barriers to clinical trial participation among women of color on Instagram, and follow her @dr.cbel.
Citation:
Souers, J. D., Thomas, M., Faughnan, J., Fox, M., Gupta, N., Betz, G., Nayak, A., & Cheung, C. K. (2026). Seen, heard, and still missing: Understanding clinical trial nonparticipation among women of color. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1177/21565333261479352