UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center proposes to continue its role as a research base in the Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP).
The aim i s to establish a national network of CCOPs by generating broad spectrum clinical protocols, encompassing both cancer control and therapeutic scientific questions, that can be implemented in a community environment and provide data of the highest quality through a solid infrastructure of data management and quality control mechanisms. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has served as a CCOP Research Base since 1986 and has generated a full program of Phase II and Phase III treatment protocols. In the past five years, 1,416 CCOP and affiliate patients were placed on clinical trial protocols. During this period, 2,339 patients were treated on M.D. Anderson cancer control protocols. A major thrust in M. D. Anderson cancer control program is to develop programs in the areas of chemoprevention, identification of high-risk individuals, nursing research focusing on symptom management and compliance, and pain control. In order to facilitate the development of concepts and protocols in this area, major CCOP/M.D. Anderson committees have been developed, including a Chemoprevention Working Group, the Community Oncology Nurse Investigator Network, and a CCOP Pain Task Force. A major innovation has been the extension of M.D. Anderson cancer control studies in the area of lung and head and neck chemoprevention studies into the Intergroup mechanism, with participation by all major cooperative groups in these studies. In developing the clinical trial and cancer control research programs, a Data Management Core has been established with full range of data collection, and computerized data base-capabilities. A quality assurance program, including both ongoing quality control assessments and periodic on-site audits, has been developed. All CCOPs are reviewed annually for performance, and recommendations for improvement or remedial action are made as necessary. The inclusion of CCOP program in the M.D. Anderson Comprehensive Cancer Center research program has proven to be a valuable extension of the scientific mission of the Center and is now viewed as an integral part of its research capability.
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