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President's Theme 2020-2021

Randall A. Oyer, MD, was named the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) President for 2020-2021 at the ACCC 46th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit held March 4-6 in Washington, D.C.

ACCC invites each president to select a theme for their year in office that addresses a timely issue in cancer care through the creation of programs and resources. Dr. Oyer announced that the theme of his presidency will be “Community Oncology Can Close the Gap in Cancer Research.”

“Over the past year ACCC has heard from our members that there are gaps in community research,” said Dr. Oyer. Respondents to ACCC’s “2019 Trending Now in Cancer Care Survey” identified their top three challenges to offering patients with cancer clinical trials as staff resources and training (53%), program infrastructure (50%), and lack of patient understanding of the clinical trials process (46%). Citing these survey findings, Dr. Oyer remarked: “We have a serious imbalance in our clinical trials work. Our patients are in the community, yet the trials are at academic medical centers. And I believe that ACCC is uniquely situated to close this gap.”

Among the plans to achieve this goal outlined by Dr. Oyer were the following:

Creating a multidisciplinary taskforce to identify staff/program/patient education resources needed to accelerate implementation of clinical trials in ACCC member practices and programs
Bringing together experts at the 2020 ACCC Institute for the Future of Oncology forum to share best practices and learn more about challenges and barriers to clinical trials adoption
Developing a series of articles, blogs, and podcasts on effective practices in clinical trials accrual and management.

“We would like to improve our care and access for traditionally underserved communities. We would like to increase sensitivity, awareness, and understanding of the needs specific to geriatric oncology. And we would like to bring precision medicine into the community by understanding how to use the new precision diagnostics and radiology techniques to make sure that our patients have access to these services.”

The resources and tools that will be developed in conjunction with Dr. Oyer’s President’s Theme will be posted to this webpage as they are available.

Featured Program

ACCC Community Oncology Research Institute

The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) has established the ACCC Community Oncology Research Institute (ACORI) to build on its existing mission to close the gap in cancer research through optimal oncology partnerships.
Learn More

Featured Program

ASCO President Lori J. Pierce, MD, discusses the ASCO-ACCC Collaboration during her #ASCO21 President's Address.

ASCO-ACCC Initiative to Increase Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Clinical Trials

ACCC and ASCO are collaborating to increase cancer clinical trial participation among patients from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. The two organizations are currently recruiting 40 oncology research programs to be part of a pilot program testing a site assessment tool and/or an implicit bias training program.
Learn More

From Oncology Issues

Community Oncology Can Close the Gap in Cancer Research
Amanda Patton, MA

One of the ways in which community oncology is helping to close gaps in cancer research is through participation in the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program clinical trials. The Lahey Health Cancer Institute, a part of the Beth Israel Lahey Health System, continues to expand access to clinical trials and, in particular, the NCI National Clinical Trials Network into the community by partnering with affiliated community hospitals.
Trending Now in Cancer Care
Alexandria Howson, PhD

Rather than fielding its annual Trending Now in Cancer Care survey while cancer programs were experiencing unprecedented challenges due to the extended public health emergency, ACCC chose to facilitate conversations with its members to capture the lived experiences of the most pertinent issues impacting oncology practice and care delivery.
Community Oncology Can Close the Gap in Cancer Research
Amanda Patton, MA

This is the story of how a large independent practice in northwest Arkansas has nurtured its research program over several decades and is now able to offer patients access to phase I, II, and III trials close to home and their families.

Age Disparities in Cancer Clinical Trials Continue to Grow

August 23, 2019

While advancing age is the largest risk factor for a cancer diagnosis— the median age at which cancer is diagnosed is 66—in a recent analysis of more than 300 oncology randomized clinical trials, researchers found trial participants to be significantly younger than patients in the general population with the same tumor types. In a report published recently in JAMA Oncology, the authors state that the age disparity they identified is “pervasive and worsening.”

For the purposes of their study, the authors looked at clinical trials of treatments for the four most common cancers (breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung). Their analysis of 262,354 participants enrolled in 302 oncology clinical trials between 1994 and 2015; 249 trials (82.5% were industry-funded) found the median age of trial participants to be 6.49 years younger than the median age of other patients with the same cancers. The study found that age disparities were greater in industry trials compared with non-industry trials, and greater in trials for targeted systemic therapy and lung cancer. Calling that gap a “substantial difference,” the authors added that it seems to be widening. Their analysis revealed the difference between the median age of trial participants and population-based disease-site-specific median age to be growing at a rate of −0.19 years annually.

The study found that industry-funded trials were not significantly more likely to use age-based or performance status-based enrollment restrictions. The reason for the increased age disparities is unclear, and a better understanding of this observed association is needed to reduce this gap. One potential factor, the authors suggest, is that industry-funded trials may be more available at cancer programs that treat a greater proportion of younger patients. With the ever-growing role of industry in funding clinical trials, the study’s authors state, “efforts to understand and address age disparities are necessary to ensure generalizability of trial results as well as equity in trial access.”

It is estimated that by the year 2030, 70 percent of all cancers will occur among adults age 65 and older. Understanding how cancer and its treatments affect older adults in particular is critical for the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care. ACCC has developed a variety of resources to identify barriers and best practices for serving this growing patient population with its Multidisciplinary Approaches to Caring for Geriatric Patients with Cancer project. Consisting of a comprehensive publication and a series of webinars on treating older adults with cancer, the project is a resource designed to help multidisciplinary care team members better understand the unique considerations required when treating an older patient population. Learn more.

Clinical Trial Resources

Development of an actionable framework to address cancer care disparities in medically underserved populations in the United States: expert roundtable recommendations
Jan 19, 2021
Published in the Journal of Oncology Practice

[Poster] Oncology Advanced Practitioner Collaboration for the Conduct of a Clinical Research Project Oct 15, 2020

Presented at the 2020 JADPRO Live Virtual Meeting
[Abstract #95] Role of Oncology Advanced Practitioners to Enhance Clinical Research Oct 9, 2020

Presented at the 2020 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Virtual Navigation to Clinical Trials Jan 4, 2019

In the current oncology clinical trials landscape, many barriers remain to clinical trial enrollment that affect both the oncologist and the patient. Among these are trial locations, strict eligibility requirements, insufficient resources to support appropriate clinical trial education and screening, as well as patient and provider attitudes about trials.
IO Trials Are Accruing: Where Are the Patients? Sep 10, 2018

Research nurse Joannne Riemer, RN, BSN, started her position at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution in 2010. Within six months, she was working with checkpoint inhibitors. From her vantage point in clinical trials research, she discusses the many changes in IO clinical trials patient selection over the last eight years.

Podcast

[MINI-PODCAST] Ep 38: Improving Community Clinical Trial Participation Oct 13, 2020

Learn about the importance of reaching diverse populations with clinical trials where they live and how one clinical trial has prioritized community engagement.

COVID-19 Resources

HHS-60x60 combatCOVID.hhs.gov provides important information and links to access the most current treatment guidelines and inpatient and outpatient clinical trials.

Live and On-Demand Webinars

Practical Solutions to Better Engage Cancer Professionals with Communities of Color

An expert panel reviews currently available data on cancer care disparities, discusses the needs of disadvantaged populations, and shares practical solutions and methods for implementing bias training. (April 20, 2021)
COVID-19 Implications for Cancer Clinical Research and Quality Care

An expert panel of past ACCC Presidents will share their perspectives on changes to clinical research during the pandemic.
Integrating the Community Voice to Advance Cancer Research

Optimal care delivery changes from place to place—what works best for one location and patient population may not be ideal for another. The same applies to cancer research. Understanding the needs of your patient population is critical to trial design and implementation. How can you proactively involve your community in cancer research activities? (January 27, 2021)
The Role of Tissue Acquisition in Advancing Community Precision Oncology

Key issues in high integrity tissue acquisition facing community cancer programs. (December 17, 2020)
Addressing Disparities and Access to Clinical Trials Among Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Learn how to identify key disparities in clinical trial access for patients with multiple myeloma and explore strategies that can help improve access for underserved communities. (October 21, 2020)
How Oncology Advanced Practitioners Can Enhance Community Oncology Research

Key results from a recent nationwide survey on the role of APs in cancer clinical research. (November 2, 2020)
Closing the Oncology Research Gap: Pharmacy's Role Defined

Learn more about resources which already exist, successful models for pharmacist integration into oncology research teams, and the unique skills which pharmacists offer the interdisciplinary team. (October 30, 2020)
In Pursuit of Equity: Diversity in Clinical Research Participation

Join Nadine J. Barrett as she details strategies to improve clinical trial accrual for racial and ethnic minorities, as well as other at-risk groups. (July 24, 2020)