The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) is dedicated to improving patient-reported outcomes (PRO) and quality of life (QOL) of the surgical oncology patient through an innovative clinical research program addressing three overarching aims: 1) To incorporate patient-reported outcomes (PRO) into the science of cancer treatment, prevention, and control research;2) To interact with the clinical trial programs of ACOSOG to develop and test interventions to control side effects and sequelae of locoregional treatments;and, 3) To support individual CCOP groups and affiliated ACOSOG members to accrue patients to ACOSOG treatment trials and CCOP Research Base trials, and, thereby, fulfill the scientific mission of ACOSOG. ACOSOG, through the Mayo Clinic, will serve as a primary CCOP Research Base, producing scientific direction and administrative leadership for both treatment and cancer control trials. The primary goal of the research base is to develop a cancer prevention and control research clinical trials portfolio. The primary scientific aims are: 1) To test whether patient-reported outcomes identifying QOL deficits can lead to interventions that improve cancer patient outcomes;2) To investigate whether enhancing provider QOL can improve cancer patient care and patient QOL;3) To investigate biologic markers and test indentations for early detection and prevention of lung cancer. The primary focus of the research base will be investigating the science relating to QOL for surgical oncology trials. Other research base investigational foci are: interventions to control surgical side effects, methodologies, and prevention studies. We at present have 10 CCOPs with ACOSOG affiliations who are dedicated to providing both treatment and cancer control trials. Each of them has pledged to put 12 patients on trial per year so that we are assured of meeting the goal of 50 patients per year on trial. We will also serve as a research base for cancer control and treatment protocol activity of non-CCOP members of ACOSOG. We will cooperate with our affiliated CCOPs and other members in conducting appropriate continuing education and workshops. The research base will provide training and active support for their data managers/research associates and oncology nurses. We will coordinate their multidisciplinary involvement in clinical cancer research protocols. By holding regular meetings of ACOSOG members, we will facilitate the review of ongoing research, plan future research and related professional activities. The research base will construct and maintain quality control procedures and monitor CCOP and member performance not only by timely review of patient accrual, data sheets, pathology material, operative reports, and radiation therapy port films, but also by periodic, randomly scheduled monitoring site visits. The research base will work with investigators and members in preparing publications as well as presentations for national and regional meetings. To accomplish the scientific aims, ACOSOG conducts clinical trials using an infrastructure consisting of five critical components, including: 1) CCOP Research Base Operations and Statistics Center (Rochester MN);2) CCOP and ACOSOG membership and Networks;3) ACOSOG Coordinating Center (Durham, NC);4) Biostatistics (Rochester, MN);and 5) ACOSOG Central Specimen Bank (St Louis, MO).
The ACOSOG CCOP Research Base will design clinical trials that include the patient views about his or her symptoms and quality of life such as fatigue, pain, and ability to participate in daily activities. The goal of these studies is to improve care of patients who have had cancer surgery or at risk for lung cancer.
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