Epistemic equity in oncology: Opportunities to leverage patient‐centric implementation in clinical trial design

Abstract

In addition to the ethical imperative to combat epistemic injustice in cancer research, work from differently resourced settings may shed light on questions of implementation and access. This piece discusses several recent randomized controlled trials whose findings advance not only clinical science but also the implementation of care. One trial demonstrates the efficacy of dose‐reduced immunotherapy and another demonstrates the utility of oral chemotherapy, respectively tackling issues of cost and ease of access. This commentary explores the implications of these and similar studies in light of financial, geographic, and social barriers to access experienced by many people with cancer in low‐ and middle‐income countries, proposes actionable next steps to improve epistemic equity in cancer research, and calls for patient‐centric implementation in clinical trial design.