ASCO is calling for pediatric clinical trials to prioritize health equity and social determinants of health (SDOH) data in future trials to improve cancer treatment and survivorship in patients. In a recent position statement, ASCO addresses the need to include SDOH data collection and intervention evaluation within National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) Children’s Oncology Group (COG) studies and outlines two recommendations aimed at aligning the infrastructure and funding of pediatric clinical trials.
There have been various challenges to the integration of SDOH data collection and social needs–related interventions into COG’s treatment protocols due to concerns related to budget restrictions and potential infrastructure burden on sites for data collection. However, ASCO notes that recent pediatric cooperative group studies show that SDOH data collection in this context can be feasible and successful. In addition, COG’s Diversity and Health Disparities Committee produced a research blueprint reaching the same conclusion, recommending the routine collection of SDOH data on treatment trials, to help increase access to trials, improve trial diversity, and reduce disparities in outcomes for diverse pediatric cancer populations.
ASCO released a policy statement on SDOH and cancer care earlier this year, which stated that interventions on social needs will require both data collection and a research pipeline to properly evaluate intervention efficacy. As the pediatric patient population is smaller than the adult population, and it tends to be treated more often on clinical trials, ASCO notes that integrating SDOH data collection and intervention onto treatment trials will be critical to moving SDOH interventions forward.
To streamline pediatric data collection and social needs interventions within the NTCN, COG, and Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), ASCO recommends the following:
- Embedded SDOH data collection on pediatric clinical trials should be prioritized and funded both federally and privately; failure to support such data collection in treatment trials should require scientific rationale.
- The inclusion of optional, embedded social needs or health equity interventions in COG research protocols should be prioritized and funded, because the development and evaluation of these interventions can improve cancer-specific and long-term survivorship outcomes.
Read the full position statement at cdn.bfldr.com.
Originally published in ASCO in Action. © American Society of Clinical Oncology. November 15, 2024. All rights reserved.
