Peer Mentors Promoting Breast Cancer Clinical Research
| Institution: | University of California, Los Angeles | ||
| Investigator(s): |
Annette Maxwell , DrPH -
Michele Rakoff , -
John Link , M.D. -
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| Award Cycle: | 2004 (Cycle 10) | Grant #: 10AB-2301 | Award: $22,942 |
| Award Type: | CRC Pilot Award | ||
| Research Priorities | |||
| Sociocultural, Behavioral, and Psychological Issues>Sociocultural, Behavioral, and Psychological Issues: the human side | |||
This is a collaboration with: 10AB-2300 -
Initial Award Abstract (2004)
Clinical trials are a mechanism for testing new cancer therapies and at the same time, providing opportunities for patients with cancer to obtain state-of-the-art treatment. However, only a small fraction of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients enroll in a clinical trial. Patient barriers to enrollment include confusion about study procedures, misconceptions regarding the trials, and misunderstandings of research versus standard medical care. A Clinical Research Mentoring (CRM) program that is developed with significant input from breast cancer survivors can assist newly diagnosed breast cancer patients in deciding whether or not to join a treatment trial and will lead to increased recruitment to breast cancer clinical trials. First we will interview breast cancer survivors to explore why some decide to join a clinical trial and why others decline. We will also discuss with several groups of breast cancer survivors what might have helped them to make their decision. Based on what we have learned, we will then design a training program and a multi-disciplinary team will train 10 breast cancer survivors as CRMs. We will match newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with CRMs and assess how many will join a clinical trial, and how the CRM program influences knowledge and attitudes of these patients. This study is innovative because the concept of utilizing peer educators who have successfully been used to change various health behaviors is applied to a new area: Participation in breast cancer clinical trials. In addition, our research collaboration is innovative, with a clinical partner, a community partner and a partner with expertise in research methodology. Finally, we see our study as a step toward creating a new culture in the breast cancer treatment environment, where patients become partners with doctors to move forward breast cancer research.
