The Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program (WCCOP), established and funded by the National Cancer Institute in 1983, continued in 1987 and 1990, is a city-wide cooperative program of the three major community hospitals and the majority of Wichita's oncologists. During the past four years, the WCCOP averaged 165 credits per year on treatment protocols and exceeded our goal of 150 credits each year. Additionally, we have achieved our goal of expanding our cancer control research program to equal stature with treatment. Indeed, in the fiscal year 1993-1994, our cancer control credits surpassed treatment with a 12-month accrual of 195 credits. The WCCOP plans an annual accrual of 150 credits on treatment protocols and 150 credits on cancer control protocols using the five research bases: the Southwest Oncology Group, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, University of Rochester Cancer Center, and the Pediatric Oncology Group.
The specific aims of the WCCOP are: (1) to stimulate quality medical care through participation in protocol studies for cancer patients in Wichita and southern central Kansas - a patient population which would otherwise be unserved because its geographic location is remote from comprehensive cancer centers; (2) to increase accrual of patients on National Cancer Institute treatment protocols and thus reduce the time necessary to answer critical questions; (3) to strengthen and maintain cancer control effort of the WCCOP to equal that of cancer treatment. We will involve primary care physicians and other specialists along with oncologists in intervention cancer control research, including chemoprevention, early detection, patient management, rehabilitation and continuing care; and (4) to bring the benefits of clinical research to rural parts of Kansas by including six rural hospitals as Wichita CCOP affiliates. With our track record as a successful CCOP for 11 years, and over 3,000 new cancer patients each year, we have the necessary expertise and commitment to continue our successful therapeutic and cancer control research efforts.
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