For over 20 years, Cancer Research for the Ozarks (CRO) has provided NCI-approved clinical trials to the rural communities of Southwestern Missouri and surrounding areas. Through the visionary leadership of physicians such as Wendall Goodwin, MD and Robert L. Carolla, MD, patients who otherwise would not have access to clinical trials can elect to participate through the Community Clinical Oncology Program. From its inception, CRO has had the support of the two nationally recognized health care systems, Cox Health and St. John's Health System in Springfield, Missouri. With the later addition of two Joplin affiliates, CRO now provides more than 95 percent of cancer care resources in the area including a physician network of oncologists, radiation oncologists, gynecological oncologists, urologists, surgeons, and primary care specialists. CRO supports the CCOP mission of accelerating development of interventions to prevent and treat cancer by increasing accruals to trials. CRO exceeds five percent patient participation with over 200 patients enrolled to treatment and prevention and control trials each of the past five years. CRO's thirty-three physician investigators actively participate in the program increasing awareness of recent developments in treatment, control and prevention and the overall quality of care in the community. CRO has also successfully increased involvement of minorities enrolling a higher percentage than that of the general cancer population.
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