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May 29, 2026
3 min read
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Women authorship ‘still low’ in phase 3 trials at ASCO, but gains made
CHICAGO — Women accounted for less than 30% of first and senior authors of phase 3 solid-tumor trials presented at ASCO Annual Meeting between 2015 and 2025.Trends improved throughout the decade, according to data presented at the 2026 event, but disparities persist, particularly among non-breast cancer investigations and in trials from low- to middle-income countries.
TL;DRAI
Women accounted for just 27.9% of first and senior authors in 1,517 phase 3 solid-tumor trials at ASCO Annual Meeting (2015–2025), with men 30% more likely to hold senior authorship positions. Senior female authorship rose from 17.9% to 31% over the decade, signaling improving pipeline diversity, but geographic gaps — especially in East Asia/Pacific — and non-breast cancer specialties remain structural blind spots for institutions setting clinical research governance and talent strategy.
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