Evanston Northwestern Healthcare has over 20 years of successful participation as an NCI-designated CCOP. Over these years we have met or exceeded clinical trial accrual goals, held leadership positions in our research bases, directed national cooperative group studies and brought to the cooperative groups our experience and expertise in many areas such as quality-of-life research, thoracic and breast oncology, neuro-oncology and recently cancer genetics. Evanston Northwestern Healthcare has the only tertiary care oncology program in our area (population >1.2 million) with consistent participation in NCI-approved cancer treatment, prevention and control studies. We are the major supplier of oncologic healthcare in our area, and a major force for health education and promotion.
The specific aims of this renewal proposal are: 1. To continue to offer the populations of the North suburbs of Chicago state-of-the-art clinical research trials covering cancer treatment, control, and prevention. 2. To extend our efforts into Lake County, Illinois (population 661,000), one of the fastest growing communities in the Midwest and until now not served by any medical institution with consistent participation in NIH-approved clinical trials in oncology. 3. To disseminate within our catchment area state-of-the-art clinical practice in oncology as an outgrowth of our participation in the CCOP programs. 4. To bring to our national research bases expertise and proposals based on the ongoing research programs and clinical strengths of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, and reflecting the needs of our community. 5. To expand our cancer treatment, prevention and control efforts to underserved and minority populations. 6. To continue our leadership positions in our established national research bases and to offer leadership in our new research base.
