Cancer patients’ knowledge and willingness for biospecimen donation at Prisma Health.

Abstract

e22569 Background: Despite advances in precision medicine, cancer disparities persist among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. African Americans have the highest mortality for several cancers, while Latinos—especially first-generation immigrants—face elevated risks for specific malignancies. Although biorepository biospecimens are essential for advancing precision medicine, they disproportionately represent individuals of White European ancestry, limiting generalizability. This study examines how knowledge of biospecimen donation relates to willingness to donate. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 30 adult cancer patients at the Prisma Health Cancer Institute. Participants completed a structured questionnaire soliciting respondents’ sociodemographic characteristics, cancer type, prior knowledge and perceived benefits of biospecimen donation, trust in medical institutions, and willingness to donate biospecimen for research. Data was analyzed using SAS 9.4. Frequencies and chi-square tests examined associations between knowledge and demographic variables (race, education, and income). Results: The sample was predominantly female (83 %) and White (77 %); 23 % identified as Black. Sixty-three percent reported no previous knowledge of biospecimen donation, yet 93 % expressed willingness to donate for medical research. Most participants believed donation benefits scientific advancement (96 %) and trusted medical institutions to protect privacy (97 %). Among those with prior awareness of donation opportunities, 43 % learned through healthcare providers, while 3 % noted learning through educational institutions. Chi-square analyses revealed no statistically significant differences in knowledge by race (χ² = 0.26, p = 0.61), education (χ² = 0.79, p = 0.68), or income (χ² = 1.29, p = 0.52). Conclusions: Findings demonstrate an opportunity to develop patient friendly education about biospecimen donation as a high willingness to donate biospecimen was self-reported among the cancer patients despite previous low awareness about biospecimen donation. While a disparity among races in willingness to participate in biospecimen was not observed in our participants, engaging trusted healthcare professional’s stakeholders to develop appropriate materials may be used to encourage overrepresentation of minority racial and ethnic groups as a step towards equitable representation in biorepositories. This preliminary data may inform subsequent inclusive engagement and equitable participation in biobanking and cancer research.