The Atlanta Regional Community Clinical Oncology Program (ARCCOP) is submitting its fourth competitive continuation application since the initial award in1987. The ARCCOP is an eight-hospital consortium (one component and seven affiliate institutions) that surrounds the Atlanta metropolitan area. Since 1987, 2,408 patients have been accrued to treatment and cancer control clinical trials. During the last funded period, 454 patients were accrued to treatment and 419 to cancer prevention trials. The primary goal of the ARCCOP is offering access to research for the treatment and prevention of cancer to as broad a community as possible while establishing and maintaining rigorous standards far quality data management and regulatory mandates.
Specific aims i nclude reducing the morbidity and mortality of cancer through education of the community and promotion of research studies aimed at preventing and curing cancer as well as promoting quality of life.
These aims are accomplished by collaborating with NCI and the ARCCOP research bases, SWOG, NSABP, NCCTG, MDACC and RTOG. Through the efforts of participating physicians and the consortium research staff, patients with cancer and those at high risk for cancer are evaluated for participation in disease specific studies.
Other aims i nclude outreach and education of populations at risk for cancer with particular focus on the underserved and minority groups that experience higher incidence of morbidity due to disease. The ARCCOP is a clinical site for the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxefene (STAR) and the Selenium versus Vitamin E (SELECT) study for breast and prostate cancer prevention respectively and was awarded a grant for a minority recruitment coordinator for the STAR study. Extensive efforts are made to educate non-oncology physician specialists about prevention trials such as Internal Medicine, Family Practice, OBGYN, and others with the intent of educating a broader patient population of those at risk. The ARCCOP is comprised of hospitals that are ACoS certified with strong multidisciplinary cancer programs and committed leadership. Through the consortium, the aim of disseminating information from NCI and the research bases in achieved. Partnerships with community advocacy groups, such as the National Black Leadership in Cancer and the Georgia Cancer Coalition, cancer organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the Oncology Nurse Society and Physician Oncologists groups has been another opportunity to meet the research goals of the ARCCOP. Research base audits have demonstrated that the ARCCOP quality assurance mechanisms are effective and attest to the experience, leadership and organizational skills of all key investigators and personnel. Renewed funding will allow this important research program to continue and assist the NCI with the transfer and application of new science to widespread community of diverse populations.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 52 publications
