Abstract PS4-09-01: Listening to the Community: Barriers and Beliefs About Clinical Trials Among Black Women with Breast Cancer

Abstract Purpose African American breast cancer patients remain significantly underrepresented in clinical trials, despite experiencing more aggressive disease and disproportionately worse outcomes. While awareness of clinical trials has increased, there is still a gap between awareness and participation, especially due to limited access to personalized support and actionable next steps. BreastCancerTrials.org and Sisters Network® Inc. partnered to assess attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, and experiences related to clinical trials as part of a larger initiative to improve trial awareness and enrollment in African American women. Methods Sisters Network® Inc distributed a survey to over 100 African American breast cancer survivors affiliated with the organization to gather insights on their knowledge, experiences, and beliefs about clinical trials. As the largest national African American breast cancer survivorship organization with more than 30 chapters across the U.S., Sisters Network® Inc utilized its extensive network to reach a broad and diverse community of survivors. The survey asked about participants demographics, breast cancer details, and familiarity with clinical trials. It covered communication with healthcare providers, trial eligibility and experience, barriers to participation, challenges finding trial information, and interest in using clinical trial navigation for support. Results Preliminary findings show that more than 65% of respondents were familiar or somewhat familiar with clinical trials. When asked about participation, 44% said they would join a trial if their healthcare provider offered it as an option. Most participants lived in urban (51%) or suburban (46%) areas and were early-stage breast cancer survivors. Specifically, 14% were diagnosed at stage 0, 34% at stage 1, 46% at stages 2 or 3, and 3% had metastatic cancer. Regarding biomarker status, 34% reported being ER/PR positive, 21% had Triple Negative breast cancer, and 22% were unsure of their status. Thirty percent of respondents had discussed clinical trial participation with their healthcare team. Of those, 67% said the healthcare team initiated the conversation, while 16% reported bringing it up themselves. Key barriers to clinical trial participation included difficulty determining eligibility, challenges finding a trial, and limited understanding of how trials work. Despite these challenges, most respondents expressed interest in learning more. Over half indicated they would be interested in clinical trial navigation services, with 52% identified as having interest in receiving education and support from a clinical trial navigator. Conclusion This study further demonstrates the barriers that African American breast cancer patients experience, and the fact that they could benefit from culturally competent, personalized navigation. This survey was the first step in a broader effort to build trust and increase clinical trial knowledge, awareness, and participation among African American breast cancer patients through the development of customized, culturally responsive education programs and navigation support. BreastCancerTrials.org and Sisters Network® Inc. efforts to improve access and diversity in clinical trials will support broader initiatives within both organizations. Insights from this study will also help refine our enrollment strategies for the I-SPY clinical trials. Citation Format: S. Mayhew, S. Colen, L. Patel, S. Horton, K. E. Jackson, C. Allen, O. Akanni, J. LaCoursiere, T. Heather, E. Laura. Listening to the Community: Barriers and Beliefs About Clinical Trials Among Black Women with Breast Cancer abstract. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2025; 2025 Dec 9-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2026;32(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS4-09-01.