) The Iowa Oncology Research Association (IORA) is a multidisciplinary consortium of six Iowa hospitals; their surgical, medical and radiation oncologists, internal medicine and family practice physicians and related non-physician cancer care staffs. Four of these hospitals are located in Des Moines, one in Mason City and one in Ottumwa. The IORA has been a principal member of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) since 1979 and has secondary research bases with the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Program (NSABP), Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) and Children?s Oncology Group (COG). The goals of IORA are: 1) Expand clinical research efforts in cancer treatment, cancer control, and cancer prevention in NCI approved clinical trials through the combined participation of its investigators and patient population; 2) Support the goals and work of research bases with involvement of IORA investigators, nurses, and clinical research associates in protocol development, committees and meetings; 3) Improve the quality of oncology care of Iowans by use of state-of-the-art treatment and cancer control protocols; 4) Diffuse the knowledge gained from clinical trials to physicians who provide care for non-protocol patients; 5) Sustain the valuable network of clinical cancer researchers and providers in Iowa who collaborate in NCI-approved clinical trials and other endeavors such as the NCI?s SEER program, the CDC?s NIOSH Demonstration Cancer Control Project for Farmers, and NCI Patterns of Care; 6) Improve community participation in prevention studies such as the NSABP Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (STAR) and the second SWOG Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) by utilizing recruitment strategies learned from IORA's successful implementation of the first SWOG Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial; 7) Increase primary care physician involvement in cancer prevention; 8) Develop strategies to increase minority involvement in cancer research keeping in mind that Iowa is 97% Caucasian and thus traditionally defined minority groups are infrequent in our population base. The recent addition of two residency program medical directors (family practice and internal medicine) to IORA membership will improve access to minority populations. The IORA has a proven tract record as an efficient and disciplined team of investigators who come from three strategically located Iowa communities. The organization is the link between six hospitals, eight major group practices and forty-nine physicians. The IORA will continue to enthusiastically emphasize quality in its research efforts if awarded a CCOP grant.
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