Nonprofit organizations play a vital role in making cancer education more accessible. As part of a health equity initiative, a national nonprofit aimed to ensure its Precision Medicine Lexicon reflected diverse perspectives and was understandable to a wide range of patients and caregivers.
We conducted focus groups and asynchronous discussion boards with patients and caregivers, then validated terminology preferences through a survey of 1,000+ individuals representing cancer patients, caregivers, and the general public. Oversampling ensured racial and income diversity.
The final lexicon was co-created with patients and validated as clear and actionable for diverse populations. It now helps nonprofit and healthcare providers bridge communication gaps in oncology market research and improve understanding of biomarker testing, genetic risk, and cancer subtypes. The lexicon is freely available online and in print for healthcare teams and nonprofits to support shared decision-making.
