Exploring Demographic Representation and Reporting in Lung Cancer Clinical Trials with Canadian Sites from 2013 to 2023

TL;DR

This study reviews demographic reporting in lung cancer clinical trials in Canada from 2013 to 2023, finding a lack of diversity and representation in participants and locations.

Contribution

The paper provides a detailed analysis of demographic reporting gaps in Canadian lung cancer trials, emphasizing underrepresented groups and regions.

Findings

Most participants were White (66.1%) and male (57.8%), with limited racial and ethnic diversity.

Ontario and Quebec had the highest number of clinical trial sites, but regions with high lung cancer rates were underrepresented.

Indigenous Peoples and Nunavut were notably absent in trial participation, highlighting a critical gap in representation.

Abstract

This review evaluates the reporting of demographic characteristics and the diversity of participants of phase III lung cancer clinical trials with Canadian research sites. A literature search was conducted using the ClinicalTrials.gov registry to identify clinical trials conducted between 1 January 2013, and 31 December 2023. The demographic reporting practices and the representation of sex/gender, racial, and ethnic groups were assessed. The location of Canadian research sites was also examined for trends in reporting and representation. Associated publications were reviewed for demographic data collection methods. Of the 25 clinical trials, 24 reported race and 18 also reported ethnicity. All clinical trials reported sex/gender, and the city and province of the participating Canadian sites. Most participants were White (66.1%), identified as not Hispanic or Latino (81.4%), and were male (57.8%). The provinces with the most clinical trial sites were Ontario (43.6%) and Quebec (34.2%). Lung cancer clinical trials lack adequate demographic reporting and representation of females, diverse patient groups, and geographical locations in Canada with high lung cancer incidence rates. Specifically, the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and Nunavut require better representation in lung cancer clinical trials conducted in Canada. These findings highlight the need to improve diversity and demographic representation in clinical research.

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