Methods in Clinical Cancer Research

Von Hoff, Daniel

Abstract

Support is requested to continue holding the Workshop """"""""Methods in Clinical Cancer Research,"""""""" which offers an outstanding training experience for young clinical scientists in the design of clinical trials and methods in clinical research. As in previous years, this Workshop will be organized jointly by the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The overall purpose of this Workshop is to provide a week of intensive training for young clinical investigators, focused on the necessary background knowledge and methods for excellent clinical trial design and protocol development. This educational experience will in turn result in more rapid introduction of new therapies into clinical practice to the benefit Of cancer patients. Specifically the Workshop will: (1) Introduce oncology fellows in all disciplines, as well as junior faculty at the level of instructor or Assistant Professor, to the principles of good clinical trial design, i.e., give them the tools they need to conduct trials that will yield definitive answers to the hypotheses tested, and enable them to develop new hypotheses so that they can proceed to the next level of research. (2) Expose young clinical scientists to the full spectrum of challenges in clinical cancer research, with the expectation that they will then want to devote all or a portion of their future careers to some aspect of clinical research. (3) Develop a cadre of well-trained, experienced researchers whose activity will promote better clinical trial design in general and thereby hasten the introduction of improved agents for cancer therapy and prevention into everyday clinical practice and patient care.