The University of Florida Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) grant describes clinical investigative activities and scientific and educational contributions of the faculty at the University of Florida. The requested funds will support our efforts in cooperative clinical trials designed to improve the outcome of cancer treatment. This institution intends to play a leadership role within the ECOG in the following areas: leukemia, lymphoma, bone marrow transplantation, genitourinary cancer, and melanoma. Expertise in medical oncology, pathology, radiotherapy and surgery has established an outstanding tract record in clinical investigation. Efforts in protocol design will focus on multimodality treatment with curative intent for patients with early disease, as well as innovative approaches for patients with advanced disease. This institution will execute small pilot studies consistent with the overall group effort and will collaborate in developing appropriate pilot studies for group-wide clinical trials. For instance, our studies on preoperative cytotoxic therapy for high grade soft-tissue sarcomas is an innovative multimodality approach to this malignancy. This institution brings special expertise and commitment to group-wide efforts in tumor biology as a basis for clinical research. Our immunodiagnostic facilities are a group-wide resource, as are the laboratory facilities required to study in depth the biological response modifiers which will play an increasingly important role as antitumor agents and adjunctive agents to cytotoxic approval as a contributing institution. The transition form Southeastern Cancer Study Group (SECSG) clinical research activity to ECOG clinical research activity has proceeded with the expected temporary disruption of our accurate rate. With 37 ECOG protocols open for patient accession, our program is gaining the momentum to achieve our goal of 70 accruals per year form the Shands Hospital and VAMC. In the first nine months of 1990, 34 patients at the Shands Hospital and 11 patients at the VAMC have entered ECOG studies. This accrual rate projects 44 from the Shands and 15 from the VAMC (a total of 59 accruals) for the 1990 calendar year. The addition of four new faculty, three of whom are clinical investigators, will enhance protocol accrual and, in time, will make a scientific contribution to the ECOG. The institutional orientation toward the well-designed, biologically sound clinical trials of the ECOG will contribute to excellent patient care, as well as the superb medical student, house officer, and fellowship training in clinical oncology research.
