At the time, Long, who is Black, said her doctor in Dayton, OH, told her she was not a candidate for surgery and suggested palliative care.
When the chemo stopped working after 3 months, her oncologist at Duke referred her to a colleague at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was accepted into a clinical trial.
It’s not an unfamiliar story: people traveling, often long distances, to take part in clinical trials they hope will save their lives.
Marya Shegog, PhD, health equity and diversity coordinator at Lazarex, says a patient travels an average of 500 miles to participate in a trial.
The financial hurdles often prevent patients from taking part in clinical trials, Shegog says.
No comment yet, add your voice below!