Over its 43 years of existence since becoming the first NCI cooperative group, the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) has enrolled greater than 48,000 patients on therapeutic studies, greater than 24,000 of whom were alive at last contact and expected to experience greater than 1,600,000 person-years of life saved. During 1993-1997, with patients residing in 48 states, CCG had a record high total of 15,963 entries onto therapeutic or biologic studies of patients. During 1997, record year-high totals were achieved for all (4,888), therapeutic (2,497) and biologic (1,603) study entries and the number of patients in active follow-up (18,000). The 5-year survival of children entered onto studies for treatment of newly-diagnosed cancer increased from 63 percent of 6,307 children enrolled in 1985-89 to 73 percent of 8,628 children enrolled in 1990-94. Pediatric cancer patients monitored by the national SEER program, most of whom are managed at CCG institutions, are projected to have their survival plateau increase from 76 percent to 82 percent for patients diagnosed in 1992 and 1997, respectively. With 182 trials in progress or development, 2881 clinical and laboratory investigators, and 120 member institutions, CCG will continue to help improve understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric cancers by conducting controlled clinical trials, performing translational research, investigating the biology and epidemiology of childhood cancers, discovering new therapeutic agents, developing new diagnostic and treatment modalities, enhancing life during and after cancer treatment, and disseminating the advances achieved to improve the outcome of all children with cancer. To achieve these goals, the CCG will conduct important Phase I, II and III trials that are designed to lead to more effective and less toxic therapies. A new biology and translational research program and a revised matrix organization will assure that CCG trials are hypothesis driven, scientifically meritorious, multidisciplinary, and inclusive of translational research. Special targets for 1998-2003 include central nervous system tumors, the adolescent gap in clinical trial participation, a premiere young investigator program, and establishment of a research development fund for CCG investigators. Strategies for acute leukemias, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, brain tumors, neuroblastoma, bone tumors, and soft-tissue tumors have been developed, including intergroup studies, that have a target to raise the overall survival plateau of all children with cancer in the U.S. by 5 percent, to 87 percent, by the year 2003.
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