This grant allows us to continue to participate in the activities and study protocols of the Southwest Oncology Group, which involves development and testing of investigational therapies in patients with solid tumor or hematologic malignancies that have less than 100% cure rates with standard therapies. We believe that the pooling of patient data from multiple institutions is a scientifically valid and efficient method for quickly evaluating new therapeutic strategies. We participate in three specific areas of this cooperative group process: (a) moderate but high quality patient accrual onto group studies, (b) scientific and administrative contributions to development and coordination of group studies, and (c) act as the administrative, scientific and quality control link between several community oncologist (Cancer Control Affiliates) and the Southwest Oncology Group. Over the past 4 years we have maintained patient accrual at 91- 125 patients per year with excellent quality of data with respect to patient evaluatibility and protocol compliance (1983 = 125 patients; 1984 = 91 patients; 1985 = 104 patients, 1986 = 111 patients). We expect to increase patient accrual to approximately 150 per year as group wide protocols in non-small cell and extensive small cell lung cancers, head and neck cancer and acute leukemia become available. The faculty at our institution are particularly strong in the areas of investigational new agents, biological response modifers, pharmacology, the development of new drug delivery systems and radiation. Expertise in these areas has allowed us to make major scientific contributions to SWOG in the development of new therapeutic strategies in several tumor types. We propose to continue and to increase our activity in this area. Several community oncologists in southeastern Michigan and northern Ohio who trained in our fellowship program and therefore had considerable experience with SWOG studies have recently become affiliates via the cooperative Group Outreach Program (CGOP). We hope to increase activity in this area. In turn, we anticipate that clinical research, patient care and training programs in oncology will be enhanced at our institution by our continued participation in the Southwest Oncology Group.
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