(Applicant's narrative) The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group proposes to re-establish itself as a Research Base for the Community Clinical Oncology Program. This application documents the development of a network which will begin with 19 CCOP programs who will directly contribute to the treatment and cancer control research agendas of the Cooperative Group. The CCOPs will be evaluated by a specific CCOP Evaluation Subcommittee to ensure adherence to the requirements of the NCI program directors and to initiate changes within RTOG to facilitate that adherence. All treatment protocols will be made available to the CCOP institutions. RTOG will utilize the CCOP network as one of the major components of its cancer control research program which focuses on studies in the cured cancer patient. The RTOG will build upon its well-established program in Chemoprevention. Chemoprevention interventions in head and neck and lung cancer are currently active with an accrual rate of over 250 patients. In addition to Chemoprevention, committees dealing with Late Effects and Quality of Life interventions have developed ongoing and effective studies in Late Effects and Quality of Life issues. The well-developed Administrative, Protocol, Quality Assurance and Data Management Units of RTOG will be utilized in initiating these multi-institutional trials and the full range of quality assurance procedures including on-site audits will be applied to the community network. The RTOG Statistical Unit has been in the forefront of addressing issues related to Chemoprevention trials and will continue to serve as a model for Intergroup studies. In performing all these tasks, there will be a full integration of CCOP investigators into all layers of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group.
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