As one of the original CCOPs, the Columbus Community Clinical Oncology Program has from its initial funding in 1983 played a major role in the delivery of state-of-the-art cancer care in our community. This means that all of our investigators and nurses are firmly committed to the concept that cancer and clinical trials are mutually supportive. We believe that a clinical trial is often the best, and sometimes the only treatment option available for patients with cancer. The Columbus CCOP fulfills the goal of the CCOP program by providing the best scientific trials, extensive educational opportunities, and a framework for multispecialty collaboration throughout central Ohio. Unparalleled growth has occurred over the last 5 years and our consortium is now up to 14 hospitals and 96 physicians. As we strive to reduce cancer mortality and morbidity in our community, the critical importance of participation in cancer control and prevention studies has become a major priority of our CCOP. Accrual has increased and the scope of cancer control activities has broadened as new strategies have been designed to enroll and retain patients and healthy subjects, data is acquired and submitted on an increasingly efficient basis, and the results of seminal trials such as BCPT are disseminated to community health professionals. Our goals are to increase the availability of clinical trials to even more communities and physicians in central and southern Ohio. We will strive to reach more minority and underserved populations, both locally as well as in the Appalachian region of southwestern Ohio. Increased collaboration with non-oncology specialists, especially in the area of cancer control trials, is another important goal. We have set these goals because our patients will benefit. The experienced investigators, nurses and allied personnel backed by the committed institutions of the Columbus CCOP are ready to continue our success, working closely with the NCI as we enter the 21st century.
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