The major objectives of the West Virginia community clinical oncology program is to improve the care of cancer patients by: (1) bringing to patients throughout the state the benefits of improved medical care (e.g. improved staging, new drugs, improved and more frequent follow-up) that result from participation in clinical trials; (2) developing a network for controlling distribution of experimental cancer agents in West Virginia; (3) providing a program whereby practicing oncologists in the state can participate in clinical research protocols and thus indirectly improve their oncologic education; (5) stimulating the establishment of cancer control activities (e.g. tumor conferences, hospice, et.) in smaller rural communities in West Virginia. The proposed CCOP is a consortium of individual practicing oncologists, clinics, and hospitals with Charleston Area Medical Center as the administrative Center. CALGB, the Southwest Cancer Study Group, and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Program, (NSABP) are the research bases with whom the CCOP is affiliated and from which protocols are derived. Although funding is directed to our CCOP (via Charleston) from the NCI, the practicing physicians direct the care of the patients. The CCOP headquarters staff will distribute all protocols to the practicing physicians and will be responsible for coordinating data collection of these patients and the interface with the research bases.
