Many clinical trials for new cancer drugs didn’t include any data on race

One-third of the clinical trials that led to new cancer drugs approved between 2008 and 2018 didn’t report on the race of trial participants — and even studies that did report on race often had far fewer black and Hispanic cancer patients than might be expected, given the makeup of the cancer patient population.

That’s according to a new study, published, that looked at 230 clinical trials that supported oncology drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Of those studies, just 145 reported on at least one race of trial participants. Just 18 broke the data down by the four major racial groups — white, Asian, black, and Hispanic — in the U.S. The study’s authors say their findings highlight the clear need for better reporting and representation in cancer trials sponsored by the drug industry.