(Applicant's narrative) The Mayo Clinic through the vehicle of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) will serve as a primary research base for the following 14 CCOPs: Ann Arbor Regional CCOP, Carle Cancer Center CCOP, Cedar Rapids Oncology Project CCOP, the Duluth CCOP, the Iowa Oncology Research Association, the Merit Care Hospital CCOP, Geisinger CCOP, Missouri Valley Cancer Consortium CCOP, Ochsner CCOP, Illinois Oncology Research Association CCOP, the Arizona Minority CCOP, Scottsdale CCOP, Sioux Community Cancer Consortium CCOP, and the Toledo CCOP. We will also serve as research base for cancer control protocol activity of non-CCOP participants and for the multiple CCOP's outside of our group who contribute to intergroup cancer treatment and cancer control protocols which we lead. We will cooperate with our affiliated CCOPs in planning their program and in conducting appropriate continuing education and workshops. We will provide training and active support for their data managers and oncology nurses. We will coordinate their multi-disciplinary involvement in clinical cancer research protocols. This will include evolving and maintaining standard reporting procedures for surgery, pathology, and radiation therapy. We will hold regular meetings of the CCOPs for review of ongoing research, planning future research, and for related professional activities. We will continue the rigid quality control procedures which have provided so successful in the past, and upgrade these procedures as indicated. We will constantly monitor CCOP performance not only by timely review of patients, data sheets, pathology material, operative reports, and radiation therapy port films, but also by periodic randomly scheduled monitoring site visits. We will work with each CCOP participant to aid in their maturation as clinical investigators. We will assist them in developing new protocols for which they will share leadership, and we will work with them in preparing publications as well as presentations for national and regional meetings. We will make every effort to provide them with justifiable pride in their participation in the National Cancer Program. A high priority over this grant period will be the further expansion of our cancer control efforts into cancer prevention with incorporation of associated basic laboratory support.
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