The Most Studied Cancer Still Faces Major Recruitment Gaps – Here’s How to Fix Them
Breast cancer is the most studied disease in clinical research yet recruitment challenges continue to stall progress.
In 2022, over 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide. By 2040, that number is expected to surpass 3 million annually. With such a large and engaged patient population, it may seem surprising that recruitment for breast cancer clinical trials remains so difficult. But sponsors know the reality: enrollment hurdles persist, and they’re only getting more complex.
The Paradox of Progress
Breast cancer trials are more numerous and more targeted than ever before. Subtype-specific studies for HER2+, HR+, and TNBC include biomarker confirmation, treatment history, and stage-specific eligibility criteria. Oftentimes, there are multiple studies running concurrently, competing for the already narrow patient pools.
Major therapeutic breakthroughs such as HER2 inhibitors, CDK4/6 inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates provide effective, less toxic alternatives to traditional chemotherapy and the emergence of immunotherapies have opened new pathways for treating advanced or metastatic disease. However, this precision creates recruitment bottlenecks that even the most proactive and informed patients struggle to qualify or navigate trial opportunities.
What’s Holding Recruitment Back?
Sponsors and sites face several persistent challenges:
- Stringent eligibility criteria: Eligibility requirements often include cancer subtype, specific tumor markers (e.g.hormone receptor status), specific biomarkers, and may exclude otherwise willing patients.
- Underrepresentation of key groups: Minority, rural, and older populations remain underrepresented due to cultural, geographic, and awareness barriers.
- Burden of Participation: Frequent visits, biopsies, and travel demands deter patients who lack flexibility or financial support.
- Limited physician referrals: Oncologists often lack time, incentives, or awareness of relevant trials, especially outside major academic centers.
- Care continuity concerns: Patients may be reluctant to switch care teams, especially when trust and survival feel closely linked.
Why Traditional Recruitment Misses the Mark
Most recruitment models don’t reflect the reality of breast cancer patients’ lives. Relying solely on referrals, outdated registries, or broad outreach fails to meet patients where they are – digitally, emotionally, and demographically.
Sponsors need precision, reach, and relevance. That’s where Trialbee comes in.
A Smarter, More Inclusive Approach
Trialbee’s precision recruitment solution leverages real-world, clinical, and behavioral data to identify and engage the right patients for each breast cancer trial.
- Data-Driven Patient Profiles: Trialbee combines clinical criteria (e.g., HER2, BRCA status, line of therapy) with digital behavior insights to model ideal candidates for each study – driving higher quality matches from the start.
- Hyper-Targeted Digital Outreach: Using social, search, and programmatic ads tailored to patients’ language, culture, and life stage (e.g., parenting, survivorship, menopause), Trialbee connects with patients in ways that resonate.
- Live Secondary Screening
A licensed medical professional screens each patient – ensuring only high-quality referrals reach sites. This process delivers a 30% referral-to-consent rate, far above the industry average. - Centralized Program Management
Trialbee’s Honey Platform consolidates recruitment data across channels and trials and functions as a sponsor-specific patient registry that enables previously screened patients to be re-matched to trials they may be eligible for - Community-Driven Partner Network
Through a curated network of advocacy groups, local organizations, and digital communities, Trialbee expands access to underserved and hard-to-reach populations – building trust where it matters most.
Solving the Recruitment Gap…For Good
The breast cancer research landscape is evolving quickly. The volume of studies, the specificity of protocols, and the urgency to diversify enrollment demands a recruitment approach that is just as sophisticated.
Trialbee is designed for this moment: bridging the gap between innovation and access with scalable, patient-centric solutions. Because even the most promising breast cancer therapy can’t make an impact if the right patients can’t be enrolled.