Delaware/Christiana Care (CCHS) National Cancer Institute Oncology Research Program (NCORP) was originally funded as a Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) in 1987, was funded as a NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) beginning in 2007 and continued participation as an NCORP in 2014 through the present. CCHS has been an exemplary contributor to all programs, frequently recognized for high accruals,stellar data quality and timeliness of submissions. Currently, CCHS participates in the ALLIANCE, ECOG- ACRIN, NRG, Wake Forest and Rochester cooperative groups with approximately 80 trials opened to accrual. Participation in CTSU and the CIRB is active and ongoing. Our catchment area includes all of Delaware and portions of New Jersey, northeastern Maryland and southeastern Pennsylvania. Our NCORP includes two affiliates, Beebe Health Care and Nanticoke Memorial, both located in southern Delaware. Our communities represents a popluation base in excess of 2 million people with extensive protocol entry potential. Under the leadership of Gregory Masters, M.D, Principal Investigator and Kandie Dempsey, DBA, MS, RN, OCN, Director, NCORP investigators and support professionals will continue to participate in NCTN core committees and leadership positions. Currently, our physician researchers are represented with appointments to 17 NCORP committees and 3 NCI Steering Committees (Breast, Gynecological and Imaging). Our mission is to continue accruals to both treatment and cancer control studies and to further develop Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR) participation which will build upon the intiatives set forth with our collaboration the NCI. Every patient at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute (HFGCCRI) is evaluated for clinical trial participation. We anticipate dedicating at minimum 10% of our activities towards CCDR to include scientific investigation of the complexities of social factors, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, access to cancer care, quality and cost factors, disparties in our community. And will examine the feasibility of examining financial costs of care and health technology systems as part of the CCDR program. The overall impact of this grant will be to ensure continuation and stimulate expansion of NCORP activities, including treatment and cancer control research, at CCHS and its affiliates. The Delaware/CCHS NCORP has consistently rated amongst top in the nation for clinical trial accruals. Over the past three years the accrual rate has been 21.1% in 2015, 26.3% in 2016 and 27.4% in 2017.
Our mission statement is to provide the community with coordinated access to National Cancer Institute sponsored clinical trials and Cancer Care Delivery Research in order to reduce cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality while improving quality of life. Participation in the NCORP provides us with the opportunity to work towards our mission.
