Kemi Williams,  

Senior Director, Patient Science 

AstraZeneca 

Dr. Sonya Reid, MD, MPH 

Assistant Professor In Hematology Oncology 

Vanderbilt University, Medical Center 

Denise Lee  

Retired Attorney, Lung Cancer Survivor, Patient Advocate 

Black Health Matters hosted a conversation about the need for diversity in clinical trials at the Harlem Health Summit & Expo.  

Kemi Williams, Senior Director, Patient Science AstraZeneca, Dr. Sonya Reid, MD, MPH Assistant Professor In Hematology Oncology Vanderbilt University, Medical Center and passionate patient care advocate Denise Lee.  

“We know that early detection saves lives,” said Dr. Reid. She went on to call attention to the value of personalizing healthcare approaches. “We know that the standard age for screening is 45. However, what I always want to tell patients is we have to then tailor it to that individual based on your family history and based on risk factors,” she continued.  

“I always say the first part of actually getting optimal screening is making sure you have a primary care doctor, and I know in the Black and Brown community, sometimes some patients just don’t have doctors. They access the health care system when they have a symptom.”  

AstraZeneca has expressed a “commitment to promoting preventive measures, increasing access to diagnostics and treatment, and strengthening health systems sustainability and resilience.”  

“We’re really trying to change that course. That way, everybody has a doctor that they trust that they can go into once a year, that way they can get tailored screening based on their history,” added Dr. Reid.  

According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), “Ensuring people from diverse backgrounds join clinical trials is key to advancing health equity.”   

Dr. Reid highlighted the value of clinical trials. “Clinical trials can give one access to therapies even before they’re approved,” she said. “I always say the standard of care that we know today was a clinical trial yesterday.”  

Lee echoed that attitude. “Somebody had to participate in the clinical trial in order for me to get the round of chemotherapy that I got. Somebody had to try that out first, and I benefited from that. So I was happy. I was honored. I was blessed to be able to participate in the clinical trial, and it was a wonderful experience.”  

Lee discussed how she came to learn about her clinical trial and the many ways that participating positively impacted her healthcare outcomes. “I like to say that a billboard saved my life, and literally, that is what happened,” she said.” I was driving home from work, stuck in traffic. I looked up and there I see a billboard, and the thing that attracted my attention was the woman depicted on the billboard was a Black woman, and she was standing next to what I now know to be a CT scan machine. The message on the billboard said if you currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years, this test could save your life. I had never heard of anything like that before, but I knew that I qualified because I had quit smoking within a year.”  

She approached her doctor excited about the possibilities but was immediately shut down. “She said, ‘No, according to the guidelines, you don’t qualify.’ So I went back for an unrelated reason three months later; in the meantime, I did research, I got additional information, and found out that, in fact, I did qualify,” said Lee. She advocated for herself with her doctor. “She pulled out the guidelines, and it showed that I then qualified.” 

Lee was partially inspired to participate in a clinical trial after seeing her own father succumb to his illness after refusing to participate in a trial. His hesitance was due to the barriers erected between the Black communities and the medical community that have stemmed from horrible miscarriages of justice involving lack of consent like the Tuskegee experiment.  

“My dad was old school. He was born and raised in the South pre-Jim Crow era. And he did not trust doctors, and he did not want to be quote-unquote, experimented on,” she explained. She and her sister tried to convince him that things had changed, but the negativity their efforts fought was too strong. It was difficult to undo the mistrust. “By the time we got him to the point where it was something that he would consider. He no longer qualified,” she continued.  

She noted that even the participants who do not receive experimental therapies in clinical trials have access to enhanced medical treatment in other arenas. “One of the advantages of the clinical trial was that even if I didn’t get selected to get the drug, I would get ten years of observation, and that’s what I really want. It was to make sure that I wasn’t forgotten about,” said Lee.  

“One of the interesting things that I discovered was that when you’re in a clinical trial, they pamper you, they give you any and everything that you want. They follow you. I actually had a dedicated person to call anytime I had any questions. I didn’t have any side effects, really. I mean, they were minimal. So, I found it for myself to be an incredible experience.” 

If you’re facing a health problem and want to know your options, take action and learn if a clinical trial could help.  

Take Action:  

• Find Out Your Options  

If you are facing a medical problem, research the clinical trials that could apply to your situation. Consult with your doctor and research the medical institutions in your area that might have access to more information.  

• Fact Check Your Medical Advice  

Don’t back down immediately if you are told you don’t qualify for a clinical trial. Take a cue from Lee and do your own research to present it to your doctor and fight for your right to be heard.   

• Find Out If There Are Additional Resources  

Don’t let financial barriers prevent you from participating in a clinical trial without checking to see if there are resources you can tap into. “Because clinical trials sometimes can lend itself to additional visits, we do have resources for certain clinical trials to help with lodging if you’re having to travel far to access the clinical trial, that’s not in your neck of the woods,” said Dr. Reid.  

“Or you may have some help with vouchers for transport for meals or for missing work,”  she added. “There are different resources.”  

For more information you can visit: Black Heath Matters