(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Blood and tumor specimen collection from cancer patients is critical to research into new, more personally targeted therapies. But biospecimen collection among diverse populations lags far behind that of whites.

In work aimed at boosting these collection rates, researchers at UC Davis and collaborators at three other institutions found that Asian, African and Hispanic Americans are open to donating specimens for research when clinicians and scientists adopt the right strategies.

Based on an exploration of barriers to biospecimen collection among ethnic and racial minority groups, they recommended three fundamental strategies for researchers:

  • Commit to investing the time necessary to developing community relationships
  • Earn community trust
  • Be transparent, use clear communication and culturally and contextually appropriate education

The findings were published online this week in the Journal of Community Genetics in an article entitled “Engaging Diverse Communities in Biospecimen Donation for Cancer Research.” It is the first such research paper to analyze cognitive, communication and sociocultural factors affecting biospecimen donation among diverse racial and ethnic populations. The researchers investigated these dynamics in three different parts of the United States.

Read Full Story here: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/cancer/8790