Awareness, access, and integrating clinical trial discussions into routine care

Dr. Morgans asks Dr. Agarwal what strategies are most effective for raising awareness about EZH2 and the MEVPRO trials among community and rural practitioners and their patients, and how to integrate clinical trial discussions into routine care. Dr. Agarwal identifies awareness and access as the biggest barriers and outlines several practical strategies.

First, he normalizes clinical trial conversations early. At the first visit, he frames trials as one of the most acceptable—and at times the best—standard-of-care options for many situations, rather than reserving trial discussion for the end of the treatment journey. He shows patients all relevant trials available in his clinic at the outset, so that trials become an expected part of their care.

Second, he prioritizes awareness among colleagues by integrating clinical trial designs into talks at regional, national, and international meetings, ensuring urology, medical oncology, and primary care colleagues see and understand the available trials. Third, he leverages telemedicine to expand access for community and rural patients: those who see him annually in person can connect every few months by telemedicine, allowing him to identify trial opportunities at the time of PSA progression while patients continue care with their local oncologist. Fourth, he simplifies referral pathways by providing direct contact lines to community providers and inviting them to present patients in tumor boards via telemedicine. Finally, he frames clinical trials as one of several standard options—introducing trials early, embedding them in routine care, expanding access through telemedicine, and simplifying processes for both patients and providers.

In the next episode, "EZH2 inhibitor landscape and final remarks", Dr. Morgans and Dr. Agarwal place mevrometostat in the broader EZH2-directed development landscape and offer closing reflections.