This week ASTRO, along with 88 organizations representing the spectrum of chronic and acute patient care sent a letter to congressional leadership encouraging bold steps to improve enrollment diversity in clinical trials. Minorities are underrepresented in clinical trials, and one of ASTRO’s top priorities is closing this access gap through patient reimbursement programs, and education, outreach, and recruitment grants to encourage participation among underrepresented and underserved groups across the country. This letter is consistent with ASTRO’s strong support of existing legislation: the Diversifying Investigations Via Equitable Research Studies for Everyone (DIVERSE) Clinical Trials Act (H.R. 5030/S.2706), which would encourage more diverse patient engagement, enrollment and participation in clinical trials across racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic divides. ASTRO encourages congressional support of this bill to close the health equity gap in clinical trials for diseases that disproportionally affect underrepresented populations.

ASTRO also joined 368 organizations of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, which includes organizations representing patients, scientists, health professionals, research and academic institutions, educators and industry in an appeal supporting meaningful annual funding growth for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In order to make medical progress against increasingly pressing health challenges, ASTRO encourages funding the NIH at just over $49 billion, while also ensuring funding to the newly created Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) does not remove existing funding critical to medical research and innovation.