The Patterns of Care Study in radiation oncology has the overall goal of improving the care received by cancer patients in the United States. To achieve this goal, national surveys will determine structure, process and outcome of care, emphasizing practice setting and new technologies as they influence local control and morbidity. Key neoplasms, prostate, breast, cervix, gastrointestinal (esophagus, rectal, anus) and testis (seminoma) will be studied. The effort will be organized through four committees (GI, GU, GYN, Breast) each led by recognized experts and each broadly representative of multidisciplinary cancer care. Special attention will focus on the care of minority versus non-minority patients with cervix and prostate cancer in the national averages and in minority-rich institutions and on the penetration of recent positive clinical trials into national use treating prostate, cervix, gastrointestinal and breast cancers. A unique and particularly important collaboration between the American College of Radiology and the American College of Surgeons will examine the total care (breast conservation and mastectomy) of early breast cancer through a study collecting data through The American College of Surgeons national data base and will compare these findings to recently established multidisciplinary standards of care. This work will be closely coordinated with the national clinical trials groups to provide the earliest possible access to testing of strategies identified as needing group study. The research team is experienced with 20 years of successful Patterns of Care in Radiation Oncology studies and with stable leadership by the Principal Investigator, Director and sponsoring organization. Access to records of essentially all facilities in the United States has been previously demonstrated with the full cooperation of the national specialty. The research team has also demonstrated the ability to conduct the information dissemination and educational programs necessary to inform the national profession about findings of the study.
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