Abstract P1-09-02: GIS exploration: Might triple negative breast cancer patients face disparities in access to clinical trials due to distance?
Authors: Vollmer Dahlke D , Cohen E , Seago-Coyle R 
Published: August 2014

Background

The incidence of triple negative breast cancer among African-American women and Latinas with breast cancer has been estimated to be at least 25%. Black and Latina women tend to develop the disease at a younger age than white women.

Preliminary research evidence suggests that there are racial differences in survival for triple negative breast cancer with African-American women more likely to experience disease progression while undergoing chemotherapy. We sought to identify and map the geographic US distribution of clinical trials enrolling patients with triple negative breast cancer and to examine the proximity of these trials to populations of Hispanic/Latina and African American women diagnosed with breast cancer. We followed this analysis with an exploratory mapping of community-based resources to reduce cancer disparities among underserved populations in two states

Methods

We used geographic information systems (GIS) and asset mapping tools to visually depict trials enrolling patients with triple negative breast cancer in the US, using data provided by Breastcancertrials.org. We compared the locations of the trials and breast cancer incidence among Latinas and African American women and created mortality ratios using SEER data. We also explored available patient resources in the context of geography and populations of interest for two states with significant populations of both African Americans and Hispanic/Latinas–Texas and California. We engaged breast cancer advocacy and other cancer advocacy as well as healthcare organizations in developing our resource maps. We mapped directories of patient resources in our two states, and discuss the challenges, lessons learned, and future directions for using GIS mapping of populations and resources for research and practice.

Results

Our maps show distinct patterns of populations of African American Women and Latinas diagnosed with breast cancer in relationship to trials enrolling TNBC patients. Our asset driven, community-based approach illustrated the distribution of locations of Latina and African American breast cancer populations and organizations that offer supportive resources. In both Texas and California, there are regions where Latina and African American women may suffer disparities both in lack of access to clinical trials and in community-based resources that could support their efforts to participate in clinical trials.

Conclusion

These transdisciplinary community mapping efforts of both trials and patient resources highlight the benefit of innovative community,academic, and clinical partnerships for addressing cancer health disparities in clinical trials. GiS mapping offers the potential to identify barriers to care among underserved populations and provides a useful and innovative format for discussions about community capacity-building in order to increase access to breast cancer trials among vulnerable populations.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P1-09-02.