Press Releases
The American Cancer Society (ACS) will receive $3 million in support from Janssen Research & Development, LLC, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to fund its Navigating Patients Across the Care and Treatment Continuum program. This new initiative will include a special focus on increasing awareness of, education about, and access to clinical trials among racially and ethnically diverse communities.
“Janssen’s generous support will increase our ability to advance high-quality cancer care through capacity-building and support for innovative, sustainable models of oncology patient navigation,” said Arif Kamal, MD, chief patient officer at ACS. “We understand how crucial patient navigation and clinical trials are to the quality of care of all cancer patients and, in particular, people who are marginalized.”
Patient navigation is one of the only evidence-based interventions to help eliminate health disparities and improve health equity in cancer care. It is a crucial component of cancer care, from prevention and screening through diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Patient navigators help guide patients through health care systems with the resources they need. By providing individualized assistance to patients, families, and caregivers, patient navigation helps ensure high-quality health and psychosocial care, creating positive health outcomes for patients.
Clinical trials are an integral part of high-quality cancer care, and every person with cancer should have the opportunity to participate. However, there are clear racial and ethnic disparities in cancer clinical trial participation. Despite the importance of clinical trials, overall participation levels remain low (2%-8% of adults with cancer). Inclusive participation in clinical trials is necessary to understand potential differences in efficacy and safety across diverse populations, mitigate racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes, and promote equity and justice. Recent analyses of cancer therapeutic trials found that only 4%-6% of trial participants are Black and 3%-6% are Hispanic, despite representing 15% and 13% of people with cancer, respectively.
“Breaking down barriers and reducing health inequities are critical factors in our vision to eliminate cancer for people among all communities,” said Craig Tendler, MD, vice president, Late Development and Global Medical Affairs, Janssen R&D. “Supporting the American Cancer Society’s patient navigation efforts is one actionable way we hope to increase awareness and, ultimately, participation in clinical trials among people from racially and ethnically diverse communities and improve cancer care for those facing a cancer diagnosis.”
Janssen’s contribution will support engagement work in collaboration with 20 health systems for the duration of a three-year sponsorship and include the health systems’ participation in the Navigation Learning Community. The collaboration will enhance oncology patient navigation and address barriers to enrollment in clinical trials among people of color. The learning community will provide a platform for health systems to share best practices and lessons learned and to access training and expertise.
Sponsorship for this initiative is being led by Janssen, along with AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb. Additional sponsors include GlaxoSmithKline, Novocure, Daiichi Sankyo, and other funders. Janssen and other sponsors did not have input into the selection criteria or how the grant funds are to be used. ACS had the final decision in the selection of the grantees.
###
About The American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.