OBJECTIVES: Prostate cancer is a significant global public health concern and ranks among the most diagnosed malignancies among men. This study investigated the characteristics and patterns of clinical trial participation among patients diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States.

METHODS: The Premier PINC AI™ Healthcare Database was used to identify men aged 18+ who had an encounter for prostate cancer, identified by the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis code C61 (malignant neoplasm of prostate), between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022. Clinical trial participation was defined by the presence of ICD-10 diagnosis code Z00.6 (encounter for examination for normal comparison and control in clinical research program).

RESULTS: A total of 994,426 men with prostate cancer were identified, with a mean age of 70.6 and a mean Charlson comorbidity score of 3.78. The majority of identified patients were White (76.6%), non-Hispanic (79.0%), and primarily located in the Southern region of the United States (45.2%). Among this cohort, 9,743 individuals participated in clinical trials. Compared to non-participants, these patients were older (mean age: 73.7 vs. 70.5, p<0.0001), had a higher mean Charlson comorbidity score (5.59 vs. 3.76, p<0.0001), and were more likely to be located in urban areas (92.3% vs. 85.5%, p<0.0001). Race, ethnicity, and census region were also significantly associated with clinical trial participation. Compared to non-participants, a significantly higher proportion of clinical trial participants were White (82.6% vs. 76.6%, p<0.0001), non-Hispanic (80.3% vs. 79.0%, p=0.0024), and located in either the Midwest (31.6%% vs. 25.6%, p<0.0001) or the Northeast (16.3% vs. 15.2%, p=0.0019) region of the United States.

CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the critical importance of understanding demographic and clinical factors influencing clinical trial participation in prostate cancer patients. These insights can inform tailored strategies to optimize patient care and foster innovation in therapeutic interventions.