Abstract B016: “Men are supposed to be macho—we don’t talk about stuff like that”: Developing messaging to successfully recruit men to a breast cancer clinical trial

Abstract Background: Many groups—including women, Black and Brown population members, older adults, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and others—continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials. Contrary to the norm, in the case of breast cancer (BC) clinical trials, men are among the least represented populations. Only one in 721 men develops BC; therefore, clinical trials have historically focused on female BC, resulting in treatments that are most effective in women. Men have a 25% higher mortality rate from the disease, demonstrating the need for higher clinical trial participation and more effective treatments for group members. This health communication study employed novel, interactive methods to inform and develop messaging that will positively influence men’s decisions to participate in BC clinical trials such as the Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank at the Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (KTB), a unique biorepository of healthy, normal breast tissue donated by women and men. Methods: Separate interactive focus groups were held for white men (N=7) and men who self-identified as Black or Brown (N=11). Eligible participants were biologically male (cisgender and assigned male at birth), 18 years of age or over, and had little to no knowledge of the KTB. Each received total compensation of $150. The focus group structure employed participatory design consisting of five different activities. Resulting data from questionnaires, transcriptions, and researcher notes were qualitatively coded. Findings: Motivators for donating healthy breast tissue included wanting to “pay it forward”, a desire to help find a cure, hearing personal stories about tissue donation and BC in men, knowing that research participation makes a difference, a desire to feel good about themselves, wanting others to be proud of them, wanting to make people more aware of the problem, having a personal connection to BC or to research, and wanting to help de-stigmatize BC in men. De-motivators included fear of stigma, lack of knowledge about male BC, fears/inhibitions about the procedure, female-focused terminology, discomfort with demonstrating vulnerability, lack of clear/thorough information, fear of possible resulting legal or immigration issues, and lack of clarity on protection of personal information. Conclusions/Implications/Recommendations: We recommend the following health communication messaging strategies for recruiting men to the KTB and other BC clinical trials: create a male-focused website and redesigned print materials with inclusive language, personal stories, and clear donation information; share stories of male patients, donors, and researchers across platforms to build trust; use targeted social media outreach, community events, and group engagement to educate, reduce fear, and correct misconceptions; apply clear, supportive messaging throughout to boost understanding and encourage male participation. Citation Format: Katherine E. Ridley-Merriweather, Vidya Patil, Marisa E. Connors. "Men are supposed to be macho—we don’t talk about stuff like that”: Developing messaging to successfully recruit men to a breast cancer clinical trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2025 Sep 18-21; Baltimore, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B016.