The UMCC has had ever continuing growth in its scientific and clinical relationships with CALGB. UMCC faculty participate in administrative, scientific, committee and planning activities within the CALGB. The UMCC faculty design, conduct and chair many groups studies and enter large numbers of patients (pts.) onto CALGB protocols. UMCC faculty chair two major committees within the group and are the responsible investigators for a large number of studies. Funding to continue and expand these activities will allow for further strong participation of UMCC in groupwide studies. For example, UMCC inhouse phase I (2 to 4 per year) studies frequently evolve into groupwide phase II studies. UMCC also conducts pilot studies which have formed the conceptual bases for groupwide studies. UMCC is the single largest accruing institution for pts. with acute leukemia and the basic science laboratories studying this disease is a valuable resource to the group. These specialized laboratories include cytogenetics and pharmacology which serve as a resource for collaborative efforts and innovative bases for future CALGB interactive laboratory/clinical studies. UMCC and its collaborating institutions (VA Medical Center - Baltimore; Medical Center of Delaware CCOP), and Greater Baltimore Medical Center) propose to further increment accrual beyond 250 protocol entries per year onto CALGB studies. This accrual is one of the largest in the group. Participation in CALGB studies will allow UMCC and its collaborating physicians greater treatment options for pts. with diseases under study by the group. UMCC currently enters pts. onto trials in acute leukemia, small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and lymphoma. Ancillary studies are evaluating cellular pharmacology and sensitivity of Ara-C as well as the cytogenetics of leukemia cells utilizing standard and methotrexate synchronized resolution techniques. Many currently active CALGB groupwide studies are derived in part from pilot data from the UMCC including studies in acute leukemia, breast cancer, and small cell lung cancer and UMCC laboratories will provide pharmacology support for these hormone studies. Funded basic science laboratories such as those studying small cell lung cancer biology and growth modulation act as group resources for interactive laboratory clinical trials. UMCC pilot studies in hormonal treatment of breast cancer have opened up a new area of treatment for the group in breast cancer. UMCC also participates in selected CALGB phase II studies as well as uncommon tumors entered onto intergroup studies through CALGB. This grant will allow UMCC to continue to enter pts. onto CALGB studies and continue to provide a strong scientific input into the group science and group administrative activities. This grant will also allow for the continuation of meritorious pilot protocols and will allow UMCC to monitor and collect data which will produce mutual benefit to the UMCC and the CALGB.
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