Community Health Workers and Precision Medicine

Reducing Cancer Disparities Through Innovative Community-Academic Partnership to Advance Access and Delivery of Precision Medicine in Monterey County

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate whether a trained community health worker (CHW) who engages with newly diagnosed patients after a diagnosis of cancer can effectively improve knowledge and receipt of evidence-based precision medicine cancer care services among low-income and minority patients.

The goal of this study is to reduce cancer disparities by improving the knowledge and delivery of evidence-based precision medicine for cancer care. We plan to randomize newly diagnosed patients and those currently under cancer care to either a control arm (usual cancer care alone) versus an intervention arm (layered on top of usual cancer care alone) where patients are assigned to a community health worker who will assist patients in ensuring the following discussions with their care team: 1) precision cancer care 2) cancer diagnosis and treatment plan 2) adherence to treatments and 3) goals of care and symptom burden. A total of 55 participants per study group (total 110) will be recruited in Monterey County from Pacific Cancer Care.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Newly diagnosed patients with a cancer diagnosis.
• Patients with any relapse or progressive disease (any cancer diagnosis) as identified by imaging or biopsy and confirmed by a physician.
• The patients must be 18 years or older.
• Patients must have the capacity to verbally consent in English or Spanish.
• Patients must be racial/ethnic minorities OR low-income status OR public insurance (Medi-Cal or other) OR have health insurance provided by an agricultural company OR be uninsured

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients under 18 years of age.
• Inability to consent to the study due to lack of capacity as documented by the referring physician.
• Patients without a newly diagnosed malignancy or patients without relapse of disease.