The mission of the Ann Arbor Regional CCOP (AARCCOP) is to improve the oncologic health of the communities served by assuring patient access to and participation in state-of-the-art clinical trials and cancer prevention and control activities while contributing to knowledge development in the field of oncology care. The AARCCOP represents a proven resource with significant potential to serve the objectives of the National Cancer Institute?s CCOP program. First funded in 1994 as a single component CCOP with total annual accrual of 100 patients to treatment and cancer control trials, it now is comprised of seven component institutions with annual accrual of 250+ patients. The AARCCOP has worked thoughtfully and diligently to achieve the phenomenal growth experienced over a short seven-year period. This grant application encompasses and articulates an ever-expanding vision for the AARCCOP. To more accurately reflect and facilitate the AARCCOP?s growth strategies for the future, its name will change to the Michigan Cancer Research Consortium in Fall 2001. Not only does this name suggest a broader catchment area, but it supports the CCOP?s growing participation in translational research, the development of systems to recruit and engage physicians as investigators, continued work with professional organizations and third-party payers to expand funding, and implementation of methods to access and execute RO-l-funded clinical trials. Strategic initiatives to increase accrual and minority participation in clinical trials are delineated and provide the framework for our work. Of importance during this upcoming grant cycle will be the AARCCOP?s continued focus on improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of participation in clinical trials through expansion of its custom data management software system to include both a drug inventory management module and an IRB module. Key to streamlining CCOP operations will be the early development of the AARCCOP?s website; this will allow component sites to easily access information online. The AARCCOP is confident these goals will be accomplished because of the commitment and belief by investigators and staff that what they do is critically important for present and future oncologic care. Convinced that our patients are better served by the availability of a strong, quality-oriented, community research program, the Ann Arbor Regional CCOP is committed to being one of the most successful CCOPs in the country, contributing significantly to oncology clinical research.
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