Journal Article

Barriers to clinical cancer research participation: moving from inclusion to engagement when considering European migrants’ recruitment

Darko, N., Silina, I., Millet, N., Moss, E. L., Czyznikowska, B., Postavaru, G.-I., Brzeska, M.

2025

Overview

Background Participation in clinical cancer research trials should diversely reflect the intersectionality characteristics of the general population for results to be representative and applicable. European migrant populations residing in the United Kingdom (UK) are a group whose participation in clinical research warrants further exploration from a community and clinical perspective. This study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators of individuals who have migrated to the UK from an EU8 or EU2 (EU8/2) country to participating in clinical cancer research trials to update clinical and research agendas for optimising inclusive engagement strategies. Methods Perspectives of migrant individuals and of clinical research staff were explored to identify barriers and opportunities for optimising engagement. Five focus groups with clinical research staff at four hospitals across the East Midlands and three online focus groups with individuals who had migrated to the UK from Poland, Latvia and Romania were conducted. Data was analysed using template analysis. Results Twenty-two clinical research staff and 17 individuals from EU8/2 countries participated in the study. Three key themes and related subthemes were identified: (1) Ambivalence, misunderstanding and fear shape cancer research perceptions (1.1. a lack of familiarity with cancer research practices; 1.2. Cancer fear may hinder participation); (2) Structural barriers and gaps in cultural competency; and (3) Building trust through community engaged research (3.1.Co-researching with communities; 3.2. Incentivising and legitimising research). Discussion Many migrant participants were unfamiliar with UK-based research practices, and it was suggested that fatalist attitudes towards a cancer diagnosis and mistrust of research generally created apprehension and defensiveness when hearing about clinical cancer research in migrant communities. Migrant individuals and staff endorsed research design strategies which engage community champions (including clinicians); narrate positive stories of cancer research participation; and consider language accessibility and comprehension as key elements of engagement-focused research design.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Adult / Attitude of Health Personnel / Biomedical Research / Biomedicine / Cancer / Cancer research / Clinical cancer trials / Clinical trials / Clinical Trials as Topic / Communication Barriers / Community / Comprehension / Consent / Cultural Competency / Data collection / Diversity / Emigrants and Immigrants - psychology / Engagement / Ethnicity / Europe / European migrant population / Female / Focus Groups / Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice - ethnology / Health Sciences / Hospitals / Humans / Improving equity / Inclusion / inclusion in randomised trials / Language / Male / Medical diagnosis / Medical personnel / Medical research / Medical screening / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Middle Aged / Minority & ethnic groups / Multiculturalism & pluralism / Neoplasms - diagnosis / Neoplasms - ethnology / Neoplasms - psychology / Neoplasms - therapy / Oncology, Experimental / Participation / Patient Selection / Practice research / Professional ethics / Professionals / Research Personnel - psychology / Research recruitment / Research Subjects - psychology / Social networks / Statistics for Life Sciences / Teams / Transients and Migrants - psychology / United Kingdom