The Southeast Cancer Control Consortium, Inc. is a cooperative group of 18 communities, 14 as components and 4 as affiliates. These are located in an area including eastern Tennessee, 2 border cities of southern Virginia, throughout North Carolina and South Carolina, and 2 locations in Georgia. The catchment of these referral communities is estimated at 7.7 million. Demography of the area reflects a low population density, limited socioeconomic and education development, and a black-white population of approximately twice the national average. The consortium has approximately 90 participating oncologists, with a community leader who is responsible for local coordination of clinical trials.l There are trained support personnel in these communities, and data management is achieved by trained, competent data coordinators. Each of these communities have completed the prescribed assurances for NCI/CTEP/DCPC, and clinical trials from 3 research bases (Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Cancer and Leukemia Group B, and the National Surgical Adjuvant Project for Breast and Bowel Cancers) have been made available to community participants. The program is coordinated by the Headquarters Office, which provides flow of protocols and protocol communications, IRB recommendations and approval, training programs and quality assurance audit support to our research bases. Participants of the CCOP Consortium have accrued 748 registrations, or 629.9 credits, in the 01-02 years. Our cancer control and prevention goals will include that of a community cancer control program which will have a broad population impact. A unique method of reaching the population base is being devised to encourage lifestyle modifications and focus on early detection, especially in high- risk populations, as a method of reducing the morbidity and mortality of cancer. The program is designed to cross the entire ethnic socioeconomic group. Major emphasis will be placed on community volunteer participation in local execution of cancer control protocols. In addition to expanding our clinical trials recruitment, it is the intention of this organization to implement an effective cancer education and prevention program in these communities.
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