The Children Cancer Study Group (CCSG) is an organizational of over 2,000 specialists in the cancers of children, located at approximately 100 pediatric academic medical centers in the United States and Canada. Its purpose is the cooperative conduct of research on childhood cancers, including: 1. The development and clinical trail of new treatment strategies designed to improve the response, survival and cure rates 2. Trials of new anticancer agents, singly and in combination 3. Research on the biology of childhood cancers, their causes and the prevention of adverse end results in children who are cured of cancer. The CCSG conducts studies of all major cancers of children, and requires the skills of all relevant disciplines and basic biomedical sciences. At each of the 34 full member and 68 affiliate member institutions there is a team of investigators representing the diagnostic, therapeutic, biologic and supportive care disciplines required by state-of-the-art investigation of children with cancer. The CCSG has played a major role in developments and cures for the cancers of children. The Group is directed from its Operations Office at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. The Group headquarters functions as a national research coordinating center. A staff of physicians, biostatisticians, computer programmers, clinical research data managers, clinical analysts, clerical, administrative and fiscal personnel, assist the Group Chairman and Administrative Director, in guiding the scientific, administrative and fiscal activities of the Group. This application is for continuing support of: the Group's NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS and the STATISTICS AND DATA CENTER; nine STRATEGY GROUPS which provide scientific guidance for studies of each of the major types of childhood cancer; seven SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES which provide guidance in needed areas of scientific expertise; eight DISCIPLINE COMMITTEES which provide expertise in relevant diagnostic and therapeutic clinical disciplines; and for thirteen REFERENCE LABS, which provide centralized laboratory support for Group studies, or central review of specimens and data for assurance of compliance with protocol specifications. Support is also requested for BIOLOGIC RESEARCH on specimens provided to several of these labs. The application also requests funds to continue the COOPERATIVE GROUP OUTREACH PROGRAM (CGOP) for support of the contributions of our affiliate member institutions; to continue the Group's on-site AUDIT and quality assurance activities and requests DEVELOPMENTAL funds to enable the Group to have the flexibility to respond adequately to new initiatives of scientific merit that will accelerate research on childhood cancer.
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