The Columbia River Community Clinical Oncology Program (CRCCOP) is an established organization of seven years duration, which has been successful in accrual of subjects to treatment and cancer control protocols, and has established an enviable record for quality of data management. Our objectives are to continue our present associations with primary and secondary research bases (Primary: Southwest Oncology Group and the National Surgical Project for Breast and Bowel Cancers, Secondary: MD Anderson Cancer Center) through currently established mechanisms and to expand and strengthen cancer control activities especially in ethnic minority populations. To this end we are continuing our participation in the NSABP Breast Cancer Prevention Trial and have been accepted by the SWOG for inclusion in the upcoming Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. We also have recently begun to forge alliances with leaders of the African-American community (the local ministerial alliance, the local Chair of the Oregon Chapter of the National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer, and a community activist concerned about prostate cancer). The plan is to take the program into the community with the support and assistance of leaders already identified by the community. In addition, all urologic groups in the service area enthusiastically support the PCPT trial and have agreed to place subjects on study. The cadre of investigators for cancer control activities has been broadened to include primary care physicians not only to increase accrual rates but also to initiate and strengthen the concept of primary and secondary prevention among community physicians. In the treatment arena it is now the community standard to practice evidence-based oncologic management and to participate in clinical trials if the best method of management is still unclear. This change appears to be the direct result of CCOP activities and will be continued. Several key factors have allowed the CRCCOP program to prosper. Our experienced CCOP investigators and staff have broad clinical research credentials which pre-date the initiation of CROP and which have allowed us to increase accrual to treatment and cancer control protocols. In addition, our location in the Portland, Oregon, and Southwest Washington metropolitan area offers us access to a large, otherwise untapped patient population. We have an extremely strong base of support from the participating institutions which both considerably lowers the National Cancer Institute's cost per patient and assures the CCOP of continuity. These factors, combined with out demonstrated initiative and resources, promise to provide the NCI with a strong CCOP program that continues to develop its potential.
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