A Case for Diversity
SAN ANTONIO MAGAZINE / JULY 2014
Cancer Therapyy & Research Center makes strides in diversifying clinical trials
When modern treatments for childhood leukemia began in the late 1950s, the cure rate for kids was still close to zero. After multiple clinical trials, in which doctors tested and improved medications, the mortality rate has decreased. Now, more than 90 percent of children younger than 15 will survive beyond the five-year mark. This type of success motivates and inspires doctors at research centers around the country, including at the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
Advances in science and positive results in studies have led to better treatments for a variety of medical issues, but South Texas researchers have discovered a stumbling block: Not enough Hispanics are participating in clinical trials. In fact, just 1 percent of all clinical trial participants nationwide are Hispanic even though they account for about 17 percent of the population (and 58 percent of the population in San Antonio). Read More