Heartland CCOP performs the following activities: 1) enrolls significant numbers of participants to federally-sponsored cancer treatment trials, 2) recruits participants to NCI-sponsored cancer prevention and control studies, 3) participates in cancer screening/early diagnosis clinics and provides education about cancer prevention strategies, 4) educates the public and professional colleagues about cancer research and raises the visibility of NCI trials, 5) participates actively in NCI-sponsored cooperative group life, quality assurance and science. Heartland's two component institutions, Missouri Baptist Medical Center (MBMC) and the Center for Cancer Care and Research (CCCR) each have a long history of high-quality clinical oncology research. The components of that research include: 1) 12 medical oncologists and associated professional staff with clinical trial experience, 2) diligent protection of human subjects according to federal regulations, 3) established, successful participant eligibility screening procedures, and 4) refined protocol and data management procedures. In addition to their accrual and data management efforts, Heartland members have expanded their contributions to the group life of CALGB, NSABP and NCCTG. Heartland continues to expand the existing research program to offer clinical research access to a wide geographic area, as well augmenting the cancer related health of the suburban and rural communities served by the CCOP. The Heartland Research Consortium (Heartland) was developed to reduce cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality by accelerating the transfer of newly developed cancer prevention and cancer treatment interventions to the populace of St. Louis County and contiguous, medically under-served rural areas in eastern Missouri. In addition to three main offices in West St. Louis County, Heartland maintains four rural outreach clinics. Through these offices and outreach clinics, Heartland provides hematology and oncology services and clinical research access to a total of ten counties in eastern Missouri that would not otherwise be available.
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