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Background: Participation of racially diverse populations in research is necessary to advance cancer care. However, representation of Black individuals in biospecimen cancer research remains low and requires being asked to engage in research. We sought to understand the experiences, beliefs, and knowledge about biospecimen research among Black patients with lung cancer. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 15 Black patients diagnosed with lung cancer were conducted between January and August 2022 at a large academic center in North Carolina. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Themes related to who should initiate discussions about biospecimen donation, what should be considered before donation, and communication strategies to increase participation of Black patients with cancer in biospecimen research emerged from the interviews. Most participants indicated that discussions about biospecimen donation should be initiated by trusted and knowledgeable members of the medical team and most expressed trusting their providers. Some also expressed the importance of including family members in discussions about medical and research decisions. Some participants felt it was important to consider if donating specimens would cause pain or would require additional procedures. Recommended communication strategies to facilitate participation included use of simple and easily understood language in addition to messaging related to how biospecimen donation would benefit others. Participants also felt cultural humility, respect, and empathy during research recruitment would help enhance enrollment of Black participants in biospecimen research. Of note, all participants reported never being asked to participate in biospecimen research and felt that underrepresentation of Black participants may be due to not being asked. Conclusion: Black participants in this study have not been asked to participate in biospecimen research but are willing to be engaged in conversations about research from their medical team. Simply being asked, trusting their medical provider, cultural humility, and framing the message on how the research will benefit others are some of the recommended strategies to enhance research participation among Black patients. Future research should incorporate these strategies into an intervention to assess the impact on recruiting Black individuals in biomedical research. Sponsored by the Lung Cancer Research Foundation Research Grant on Disparities in Lung Cancer Citation Format: Jeenn A. Barreiro-Rosa, Oluwatumilara Akeke, Annabella Opoku, Alison Hilton, Jessica Carda-Auten, Randall Teal, Aaron Carpenter, Hayley N. Morris, Lauren Matthews, Ashley Rankin Collins, Marjory Charlot. “Simply ask and explain”: perspectives from Black patients with lung cancer on strategies to address racial disparities in biospecimen research participation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5534.

Background: Representation of Black individuals with cancer in biospecimen research remains disproportionately low compared to white counterparts. Clinicians and research staff are responsible for informing, inviting, and consenting patients to participate in such research. We sought to understand clinician and research staff perspectives on engaging Black patients in biospecimen research. Methods: We conducted 10 in-depth interviews with purposively sampled clinicians and research staff at a large academic cancer center in North Carolina between January and August 2022. Participants underwent semi-structured interviews (duration 45-60 minutes) and were asked open ended questions about biospecimen research barriers in general, barriers specific to people who identify as Black or African American, and considerations when discussing biospecimen research with Black patients. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Perceived patient related barriers to biospecimen donation included pain from sample collection, invasive sample collection, lack of to time or transportation, medical research mistrust, health literacy, and limited knowledge of opportunities for involvement. Many felt that these barriers were faced by both Black and non-Black patients. However, some felt for Black patients, these barriers existed within the context of historical injustices in medicine, current bias in health care and socioeconomic inequities, while others felt socioeconomic status not race was more of a concern. Clinician and research staff identified barriers to discussing biospecimen research included lack of time given busy clinical practice and concern with patients’ physical and emotional state. Patients’ race was not considered a barrier. When asked about considerations for discussing biospecimen research specifically with Black patients, participants felt time to establish rapport and trust, readiness to discuss historical injustices in biomedical research, reminding participants research is voluntary, and having in person discussions were important. Few felt that patient race was not relevant to these discussions. Conclusion: Some clinicians and research staff acknowledge that historical injustices and current racial bias in biomedical research and health care contribute to low representation of Black individuals in biospecimen research, while others did not. Further research is needed to assess whether race and/or racism agnostic approaches versus acknowledgement of structural racism’s influence on biomedical research and health care have an impact on fair representation of Black individuals in biospecimen research. Sponsored by the Lung Cancer Research Foundation Research Grant on Disparities in Lung Cancer Citation Format: Aaron Carpenter, Hayley N. Morris, Annabella Opoku, Alison Hilton, Jessica Carda-Auten, Randall Teal, Jeenn A. Barreiro-Rosado, Lauren Matthews, Oluwatumilara Akeke, Ashley Rankin Collins, Marjory Charlot. Research team perspectives on engaging Black patients with cancer in biospecimen research. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5535.