Blood cell counts have unfairly kept Black and Middle Eastern people from clinical trials, study says
One of the most important measurements for cancer patients is the neutrophil count. Certain cancer therapies like chemotherapy can be harsh on these white blood cells, so cancer patients need their neutrophil count to be in a given range when undergoing those treatments or before enrolling in particular clinical trials. That can be a problem for people who have a natural blood variation called the Duffy-null phenotype.
About 67% of African Americans have the Duffy-null phenotype, which leads them to have a naturally lower level of neutrophils in their blood. It doesn’t affect their health or ability to fight infections, but it can tip their neutrophil counts into a range that would be considered low. That can lead some people with the Duffy-null phenotype to being unfairly excluded from most cancer clinical trials and negatively affect their treatment, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open on Wednesday.
