U of A Cancer Center expands statewide clinical trials access with NCI grant
A $575,000 National Cancer Institute grant will allow the center’s Arizona Clinical Trials Network to expand partnerships with medical facilities statewide to allow more patients to get access to cancer prevention screenings and cutting-edge treatments.
Dr. Rachna Shroff, MD, MS, Speaking at the University of Arizona Cancer Center Ginny L. Clements Breast Cancer Research Symposium, 2024
Joshua Elz
The University of Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center is expanding its Arizona Clinical Trials Network, a statewide initiative launched in 2021, to bring cutting-edge cancer screenings and advanced therapies directly to patients—especially those in underserved areas. This effort is bolstered by a new five-year, $575,000 Research Specialist Award, or R50 grant, from the National Cancer Institute, which supports the Arizona Clinical Trials Network’s mission to increase clinical trial participation across Arizona.
Rachna Shroff, MD, MS, head of ACTN and the grant’s principal investigator, is leading the charge. A nationally recognized expert in pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancers, Dr. Shroff holds multiple leadership roles, including chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson, associate director of clinical investigations at the U of A Cancer Center, and oncology service line medical director at Banner – University Medicine Tucson. She also holds national roles with the Southwest Oncology Group, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Association of American Cancer Institutes, and Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, positioning her at the forefront of cancer research and advocacy.
“This grant allows us to expand our footprint and open clinical trial sites across Arizona,” said Dr. Shroff. “By doing so, we can provide access to innovative cancer therapies to underserved, underrepresented, and rural/frontier populations who otherwise might not have the opportunity to participate.”
Arizona’s diverse population—including Hispanic/Latino, Native American, and Black communities—faces significantly lower survival rates for cancer and heart disease, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Social Vulnerability Index and Cancer Control Plan. These disparities are exacerbated by increasing threats of rural hospital closures and limited financial support for health care infrastructure.
By the numbers: Cancer & health care inequities
- In 2022, cancer was the second leading cause of death in Arizona and, while Whites had higher cancer rates, Hispanics—nearly a fifth of whom in Arizona are uninsured—were more likely to die of it. [Source]
- U.S. cancer mortality or death rates fell from 1991 to 2022 due to less tobacco use, improved treatments and early detection for some cancers, but inequities still exist:
- Native Americans are 2-3 times more likely than Whites for kidney, liver, stomach, and cervical cancers.
- Blacks are twice as likely to die of prostate, stomach and uterine corpus cancers compared to Whites.
- Cancer rates in women age 50-64 have surpassed men, with rates in younger women 82% higher than men – most notably lung cancer rates under age 65 are higher in women for the first time in 2025. [Source]
- In 1999, mortality rates for chronic diseases and cancer among those age 25-54 were 6% higher in rural areas. That gap widened to 43% by 2019. [Source]
The ACTN is designed to counter these trends by partnering with hospitals and clinics statewide to offer cancer screenings and access to clinical trials. Outside Tucson, the network currently includes Onvida Health Yuma Medical Center and Kingman Regional Medical Center. It’s actively exploring further expansion into Northern Arizona, including Flagstaff, where access to clinical trials is limited, as well as along the Mexico border.
“We’ve identified several areas where the need is great,” Dr. Shroff explained. “Flagstaff, for example, is home to nearby tribal populations that currently lack access to clinical trials. We’re working to understand the infrastructure in these regions and replicate successful models like the one we’ve established in Yuma.”
Dr. Shroff emphasized the importance of tailoring clinical trial offerings to the specific needs of each community. “We’re collaborating with our community outreach and engagement team to assess the cancer burden in these areas and determine which types of trials are most needed. Then, we’ll work with the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network to open appropriate studies at those sites,” she said.
The R50 grant also is a milestone for the U of A Cancer Center—it’s the first of its kind awarded to the institution and, according to Dr. Shroff, likely the only one currently active in the state. The funding will support infrastructure development, research coordination, and outreach efforts to ensure that clinical trials are accessible to all Arizonans, regardless of geography or socioeconomic status.
For more information about joining the Arizona Clinical Trials Network, contact the Cancer Center’s clinical research administrative director, Elizabeth McPeak, MPH, CCRP, at lmcpeak@arizona.edu or see this link.
Experts
Professor, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine – Tucson
Chief, Division of Hematology and Oncology, College of Medicine – Tucson
Associate Director of Clinical Investigations, U of A Comprehensive Cancer Center
Medical Director, Oncology Service Line, Banner – University Medicine Tucson
Contact
David Mogollon, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine – Tucson
520-275-6931
A selection of indicator maps of health care access
Source: Arizona Department of Health Services.
1.) Drive-time to nearest medical facility
2.) Percentage of people without health insurance
3.) Percentage of households without a vehicle
4.) Percentage of people with incomes below the 150% federal poverty level