Genentech grant supports increasing Black participation in cancer clinical trials

Clinical trials are essential to developing globally applicable curative, life-extending and life-enhancing cancer therapies using targeted approaches. Henry Ford Health currently participates in 1,300 clinical trials, including studies with Henry Ford Cancer which is one of 20 sites that offer clinical trial services in the Michigan Cancer Consortium.

Within communities of color, traditional approaches to research have often not benefited and sometimes actually harmed participants. This has resulted in distrust and a reluctance to participate in research, including clinical trials. To overcome this and advance inclusive research, there have been increasing efforts over the past three decades to apply and support participatory research approaches which deepen engagement between communities of color and researchers to better understand and address racial and health inequities.

Supported by a grant from biotechnology company Genentech, a member of the Rouche Group, Henry Ford researchers launched PAACT 2.0 (Participatory Action for Access to Clinical Trials Project 2.0), continuing to build upon the work from the first phase of this project. The project’s aim is to increase participation of Black cancer patients in clinical trials, and to build trust and confidence in healthcare providers and perceived implications of cancer clinical trials for Black health outcomes.

In this three-year study, PAACT 2.0 will use community-engaged research tenets, the Association of American Medical Colleges principles of trustworthiness, and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to identify high-priority recommendations, develop an implementation plan and foster sustainability of these process improvements within Henry Ford Health and local communities.

Thanks to the generosity of companies like Genentech, Henry Ford Health can deliver on its mission to improve lives through the science and art of health care and healing.