The Essex County Clinical Oncology Program (ECCC) has been designed to enable community-based medical, surgical, radiation and gynecologic oncologists to perform significant clinical and cancer control research in cooperation with major Research Bases. The structural and functional organization provides the mechanism for establishing the prerequisite systems for sound research: data management, pathology review, toxicity surveillance, radiotherapy quality monitoring, nursing research procedures, and specialized training programs. These systems have been adapted to community use through the employment of itinerant data collectors, simplified standardized reporting forms, and the exploration of computerized protocol monitoring systems. Each component in the research process has been developed with special attention to monitoring activity, feedback mechanisms, and quality assurance procedures. The Investigator Patient Log has been specifically developed to begin to accrue data for the diffusion hypothesis. All facets of ECCC functions have been designed to afford maximal integration with the cancer activities of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Gynecology Oncology Group, and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. This collaborative effort will serve as a nidus for future combined Center-Community projects and thereby serve to further the goal of one level of care for all cancer patients.
