This grant application requests support for Evanston Hospital's (EH) continued participation in the Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP). We have participated in the studies of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), Illinois Cancer Council (ICC), Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), and Gynecology Oncology Group (GOG). Through the ICC, we have also contributed patients outside the CCOP in the studies of the Lung Cancer Study Group (LCSG), and in the past, the Gastrointestinal Study Group. This grant will insure continued participation in the studies of the ECOG, ICC, RTOG and GOG. The EH investigators have also chaired protocols in the ECOG study sections of Genitourinary and Breast Cancer. They have also chaired studies on brain tumors and cancers of breast, colon, and ovary developed by the ICC. The hospital has participated in a number of cancer control projects such as NCI and LCSG sponsored quality of life surveys, relationship of cholecystectomy to colon cancer, value of mass screening with hemocultt slides in the diagnosis of colon cancer, head and neck demonstration projects, thyroid recall clinic, etc. A geographically centralized multidisciplinary outpatient service has been in operation for the past 5 years. We have also designated medical and surgical oncology beds. EH investigators have also developed local protocols in regional hyperthermia, ambulatory/home chemotherapy, and more recently, phase I clinical studies with aminothiadiazole. These protocols, if found suitable, will be incorporated into groupwide studies. The patients will receive and participate in clinical trials including cancer control protocols within their own communities. We will continue to expand our educational role in the next few years. Thus, participation in the activities in the cancer control and in therapeutic clinical trials will lead to scientific advances and stimulate better patient care which, in turn, will favorably impact on the level of knowledge of the staff and physicians within the hospital and in the community. The prior successful participation of this hospital in CCOP and in the cancer control studies assures future success of this grant.
