Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Factors influencing participation in cancer clinical trials among Arabic-speaking communities in Australia: a qualitative study (146116)

LAYLA EDWARDS 1 , Rayan Saleh Moussa 1 , Michael Camit 2 , Bernadette Brady 2 3 , Tim Luckett 1 , Ben Smith 4 , Slavica Kochovska 1 5 , Charbel Bejjani 2 , Sara-Jane Roberts 1 , Amin Gadalla 2 , Iman Zakhary 2 , Christine Jeyaz 2 , Gemma McErlean 6 7 , Wei Chua 2 8 , Randa Kattan 9 , Meera Agar 1 2 , Abhijit Pal 2 8
  1. IMPACCT, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ulitmo, NSW, Australia
  2. South West Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  3. Australian centre for Cancer Equity , Sydney, NSW, Australia
  4. The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  5. Flinders University , Adelaide, SA, Australia
  6. Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  7. University of Technology Sydney, Ulitmo, NSW, Australia
  8. Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  9. Arab Council Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Background: Despite representing nearly a quarter of the Australian population [1], culturally and ethnically diverse communities remain underrepresented in cancer trials [2,3]. Little is known about how social, environmental, and structural factors shape trial access and engagement. This study explored factors influencing cancer clinical trial participation among Arabic-speaking Australians.

Methods: A qualitative study with Arabic-speaking Australian’s who had: lived experience of cancer, cared for someone with cancer, participated in research, or an interest in cancer care. Participants were recruited purposively through cancer services, community organisations, and social media using snowball sampling. Participants were allocated to one-of-four language-based focus groups. Discussions were recorded, translated into English and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: Twenty-two participants were recruited. Three themes were generated:

1. Cultural, Religious, and Community Influences: Cancer stigma, collective family decision-making, and religious considerations shaped attitudes towards trial participation.

2. Beliefs, Understanding and Unmet Information Needs: Limited awareness of clinical trials, concerns that trials involved experimentation, and lack of culturally relevant information contributed to uncertainty and hesitancy. Participants reported a strong preference for transparent communication, information tailored to both patients and families, and opportunities to discuss concerns with trusted clinicians (including General Practitioners).

3. Past and Current Health System Experiences: Prior negative healthcare system experiences, both in Australia and participants’ countries of origin, influenced trust of clinicians, healthcare organisations, and research. Limited consultation time, interpreter-related concerns, and perceived lack of transparency further affected willingness to engage with clinical trial discussions.

Conclusions: Clinical trial participation among Arabic-speaking communities is shaped by intersecting cultural, informational, and healthcare system factors. Trust appears central to engagement, influencing how clinical information is understood and acted upon. Efforts to improve participation should focus on culturally responsive communication, family-inclusive approaches, and relationship-centred models of trial recruitment that address information, language, and trust-related needs.

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Cultural diversity of Australia: Information on country of birth, year of arrival, ancestry, language and religion. 2022 [cited 2025 Aug 14]; Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/cultural-diversity-australia#language.
  2. Heller, C.A., et al., Strategies addressing barriers to clinical trial enrollment of underrepresented populations: a systematic review. J Contemporary clinical trials, 2014. 39 2: p. 169-82.
  3. Smith, A.B., et al., Lower trial participation by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) cancer patients is largely due to language barriers. J Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2018. 14: p. 52 - 60.