Research We Fund
With hundreds of projects currently underway, we fund scientists through our academic grant programs and biotech partners through our strategic venture philanthropy initiative. Use the filters below to find an LLS-funded project.
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H. Irene Su, MD
University of California San Diego
La Jolla, CaliforniaImpact of State Health Insurance Mandates on Affordability and Utilization of Fertility Preservation in Adolescent and Young Adults with Blood Cancers
Fertility preservation (FP) treatments can prevent infertility caused by blood cancer. However, FP costs are high, and these services are typically not covered by insurance, contributing to low utilization. New state laws require insurers to cover FP, but it is unknown if they improve access to care. Using national insurance data, this study will examine how much out-of-pocket costs remain, whether patients’ share of costs is like that of other cancer services, and whether and which types of laws increase use and affordability.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: July 1, 2024 End Date: June 30, 2027
Carma Bylund, PhD
University of Florida
Jacksonville, FloridaEnhancing Connection and Communication with Community-Based Oncology Practices to Improve Cancer Clinical Trial Recruitment: The ECCO Study
In collaboration with 10 community-based oncology practice sites, this study will implement a multi-level intervention trial to test the effectiveness of two community oncology strategies designed to increase trial accrual by focusing on a) enhancing the relationship between community oncologists and trial PIs and reducing barriers to referral, and b) an interactive online training focusing on improving community oncologists’ knowledge and attitudes about trials, as well as their ability to discuss clinical trials with their patients.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: July 1, 2024 End Date: June 30, 2029
Raymond Mailhot, MD, MPH
University of Florida
Jacksonville, FloridaInsurance Inequities in Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment and Survivorship in the Southeast
Black and Hispanic individuals diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) face worse survival rates across all ages. Using an innovative data source, this study will examine differences by insurance status in the receipt and quality of HL treatment in Aim 1 and care engagement and support after treatment (survivorship care) in Aim 2. Using diverse patient voices, this study will characterize and understand how patients make decisions about treatment and survivorship care by insurance type in Aim 3.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: July 1, 2024 End Date: June 30, 2027
Shazia Nakhoda, MD
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaRECONNECT: Overcoming Racial and Ethnic Inequity in Clinical Trial Enrollment via Clinical Trial Nurse Navigation and Provider Communication Training
This study will implement a skill-based didactic course for providers to improve the quality of communication around structural racism, mistrust, implicit biases, and clinical trial counseling. This study will also implement a culturally competent, specialized clinical trials nurse navigation program that connects patients to educational resources around clinical trials and standardizes pre-screening for new patients prior to the initial clinic visit.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: July 1, 2024 End Date: June 30, 2029
Anushree Vichare, PhD, MBBS
The George Washington University
Washington, District of ColumbiaAddressing Inequities in Access to Care for Patients with Hematologic Malignancy: Understanding the Impact of Telehealth Policies in Medicaid
Telehealth could improve access for Medicaid patients with a blood cancer who experience barriers to specialty care, but not all specialists offer it. Using Medicaid data, this study will provide novel information on whether blood cancer specialists are continuing to use telehealth following the COVID-19 pandemic when telehealth use increased dramatically. This study will also examine if telehealth helps address inequities in access to specialists, including for racial/ethnic minoritized groups and those living in rural areas.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: July 1, 2024 End Date: June 30, 2027
Oreofe Odejide, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MassachusettsHealth Insurance and End-of-Life Care for People with Hematologic Malignancies
Patients with blood cancers from racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to experience suboptimal end-of-life (EOL) care. These disparities may be partially driven by health insurance differences but there is limited research examining insurance access as a potential contributor to EOL care disparities for this population. We will leverage complementary local and national datasets to assess the relationship between insurance status and type with EOL quality measures. We will also develop a Blood Cancer Health Insurance Initiative to translate our research findings to policy initiatives to dismantle disparities in access to high-quality EOL care for patients with blood cancers. We will translate our research findings to policy initiatives to dismantle disparities in access to high-quality EOL care for patients with blood cancers.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: June 1, 2023 End Date: May 31, 2026
Jalpa Doshi, PhD
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaImpact of Insurance Type and Cost Sharing on Equity in Access to Oral Anticancer Medications for Blood Cancers
This project will evaluate the association of insurance type with insurer rejection and patient abandonment of new OAM prescriptions for blood cancers, overall and by sociodemographic factors. It will also evaluate the association of cost sharing with patient abandonment of OAM prescriptions for blood cancers and conduct simulations under alternative cost sharing scenarios to inform policy reform proposals among commercially insured enrollees. Finally, the study will evaluate the effect of cost-sharing reductions under the Inflation Reduction Act on patient abandonment of new OAM prescriptions for blood cancers among Medicare Part D enrollees, overall and by sociodemographic factors.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: June 1, 2023 End Date: May 31, 2026
Meng Li, PhD
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, TexasInvestigating the Impact of Insurance Coverage on Access to Care and Outcomes among Lymphoma Patients
In this proposal we will investigate the association between insurance coverage and access to care, survival, and financial hardship among patients across Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes and to what extent insurance coverage explains and modifies racial disparity in access to care and outcomes. To this end, we will use the Optum Clinformatics DataMart database, the Texas Cancer Registry, the Harris Health System Cancer Database and Data from the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) Cohort Study. These four databases will provide a sample that covers a diverse patient population in terms of insurance coverage, race and ethnicity, and geographic regions. The LEO Cohort Study also provides information on self-reported financial toxicity that is not available in cancer registries, administrative claims data, or surveys. This study will reveal whether insurance coverage, neighborhood socioeconomic factors and healthcare resources are associated with access to care and outcomes of NHL patients.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: June 1, 2023 End Date: May 31, 2026
Lori Muffly, MD
Stanford University
Palo Alto, CaliforniaTowards Equity in Specialized Cancer Care for Adolescents and Young Adults with Newly Diagnosed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Our study is designed to directly inform the pathways through which health insurance influences access to care at an SCC for individuals with AYA ALL using a combination of cancer registry, survey, and cost-benefit analyses. This research will contribute to knowledge of the implications of health insurance coverage on ALL cancer care in young adults and inform policy-relevant solutions, including determining whether patients are bypassing an SCC for treatment at a more distant facility, calculating estimates of insurance acceptance and access challenges at ALL treating facilities and identifying the financial implications of shifting care to SCCs with demonstrated survival improvements for this population.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: June 1, 2023 End Date: May 31, 2026
Helen Parsons, Phd
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MinnesotaThe Impossible Choice: The Role of Insurance Design on Financial Toxicity and Access to Care for Individuals with Blood Cancer
The overall goal of this project is to understand the role of insurance design on financial toxicity and access to care among individuals with blood cancer. To understand this interplay, we will use a unique and innovative linkage of the 2012-2019 Colorado Cancer Registry (CCR) to the 2013-2021 Colorado All-Payer Claims Database and the LexisNexis and TranUnion financial and life event databases. Our specific aims are to 1) Estimate the number of individuals with blood cancer who are potentially underinsured over time relative to individuals with solid tumors or no history of cancer; 2) Examine the relationship between being underinsured and experiencing financial toxicity after diagnosis in individuals diagnosed with blood cancer relative to those with solid tumors or no history of cancer; and 3) Examine differences in access to cancer care including time to treatment, treatment intensity and survival in underinsured individuals with blood cancer versus those with more generous insurance coverage.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: June 1, 2023 End Date: May 31, 2026
Xu Ji, PhD
Emory University
Atlanta, GeorgiaImpact of Health Insurance on Mortality for Children and AYAs Newly Diagnosed with a Blood Cancer: A Population-Based Multistate Evaluation
Lacking continuous insurance is a key barrier to access to timely care. This study will provide the first evidence of whether insurance continuity provides a survival benefit, and how Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act affects insurance continuity and the associated downstream changes in survival for children, adolescents, and young adults with blood cancers. This study will inform policy interventions toward increasing access and reducing disparities in blood cancer outcomes.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: June 1, 2022 End Date: May 31, 2024
F. Lennie Wong, PhD
Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope
Duarte, CaliforniaRole of Health Insurance and Medicaid Expansion in Racial Inequity in Patterns of Care and Outcomes in Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is the most common blood cancer in African Americans. Thanks to advances in treatment, over 50% of patients now survive 5 years compared to 35% in 2000. However, African American patients may not be enjoying the same health gain as White patients, possibly due to poorer access to healthcare. This study will examine the role of health insurance and living in states with expanded eligibility for Medicaid on treatment patterns and survival in African Americans compared to White patients with multiple myeloma.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: June 1, 2022 End Date: May 31, 2024
Stacie Dusetzina, PhD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TennesseeMaking the Right Choice: Medicare Plan Selection and Access to Cancer Care
Selecting a Medicare plan is a time-sensitive and complex decision with substantial financial implications, particularly for individuals with cancer. The proposed project evaluates the financial and health outcomes for individuals selecting different Medicare coverage options and how these outcomes vary by the presence and timing of a cancer diagnosis. The goal of this work is to identify opportunities to improve plan selection and reduce inequities in cancer care and outcomes.
Program: Equity in AccessProject Term: Start Date: June 1, 2022 End Date: May 31, 2024