The Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) is composed of 37 institutions and 21 affiliate institutions who have pooled their patient resources and scientific expertise to study the natural history of childhood cancer, to develop effective therapeutic regimens and to develop clinical trials of new therapeutic agents in children with cancer. There are 637 member investigators which includes pediatric oncologists, pathologists, surgeons, radiation therapists, radiologists, epidemiologists, neurologists, cytogeneticists, immunologists, pharmacologists, psychiatrists and statisticians. Reference laboratories for immunology, steroid receptors, cytogenetics, bone marrow culture, HLA typing, immunophenotyping, pharmacology studies and catacholamine levels are established at various member institutions to further investigate the natural history of childhood cancer and to investigate factors which may be of importance in prognosis. The Group Chairman provides executive and scientific guidance and is responsible for creating an environment which will encourage the development of research protocols of the highest scientific merit. The specific objective of the POG Operations Office is to provide the facilities and staff that serve as the central office for collection, processing, classification and distribution of essential and vital data and information that is necessary for member investigators to participate in the research activities of the Group. This office will prepare, edit, process and distribute POG protocols from the initial concept to activation and will monitor the progress of studies during their active phase as well as preparation of manuscripts for publication. It will be responsible for arranging, conducting and supervising POG meetings and generating and distribution minutes of these meetings. This office will arrange and coordinate quality control institutional audits. All of the activity of the Operations Office will be coordinated with that of the Statistical Office. This application is requesting continued funding for the POG Operations Office and includes budgets for standing committees and reference laboratories.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 198 publications
