Why Some Cancer Clinical Trials Leave Out People with Disabilities

Did you know that people with disabilities are more likely to get cancer? Yet, they often can't join cancer clinical trials. Why? Because of rules that measure how well a person can perform daily activities, called performance status. This is set to make sure trial participants aren't too sick. But these rules can be too strict, making it hard for people with disabilities to join. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working on new rules for 2024. They want to make these rules less strict, so more people can join trials. But there's more to think about. Sometimes, trials also exclude people based on other things like age or medical history.

Cancer trials are important because they test new treatments. If people with disabilities are left out, they might not benefit from these new treatments. Plus, trials need diverse participants to make sure the results work for everyone. So, what's the solution? Maybe we need to rethink how we measure performance status. Maybe we need to be more inclusive and consider each person's unique situation. After all, everyone deserves a fair shot at new cancer treatments.

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