Approximately 10 million Americans are cancer survivors living in their communities, and 80% of adult cancer care is delivered in the community oncology setting. To implement clinical trials, make progress at an appropriate pace in cancer medicine, and address the vital needs of an aging population, the clinical research infrastructure must extend into the community oncology setting. Our hypothesis is that enriched clinical trials in cancer control care, especially in the areas of symptom prevention, symptom management, integrative medicine, cancer prevention, cancer control, and cancer treatment can be delivered to patients via state-of-the art medicine in their communities through our Research"""""""" Base;and subsequently, important cancer care-related information and approaches can be transferred back from the community to M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to enhance our research programs and our understanding of cancer care. Our plan is to complete our existing cancer treatment trials, and to develop no further treatment trials. We will develop an expanded, focused program of cancer control research in response to the current needs of our community oncologists and the field of cancer medicine, the increased number of cancer survivors and the associated challenges in developing research-driven models of care for this population, and the evolving strengths of the M. D. Anderson research faculty.
The specific aims of this proposal are:
Aim 1. To conduct interventional clinical trials in the realm of cancer control to enhance the health of patients affected by cancer;Sub-aim 1a: To develop and conduct interventional clinical trials in the realm of palliative care and rehabilitation;Sub-aim 1b: To develop and conduct interventional clinical trials in the realm of supportive oncology;Sub-aim 1c: To develop and conduct interventional trials that utilize interventions in the realm of integrative medicine (sometimes called complementary and alternative medicine);Sub-aim 1d: To develop and conduct interventional trials directed at improving the health of cancer survivors;Sub-aim 1e: To draw upon best practices in symptom assessment and measurement, and to expand the knowledge base in these realms through the conduct of interventional clinical trials that include patient-reported outcome measures;Sub-aim 1f: To incorporate novel Bayesian approaches to the design and analysis of clinical trials that include use of patient- reported outcomes.
Aim 2. To exchange medical information, scientific technology, and. best practice standards among our academic cancer center faculty and fellows, other academic centers, and community oncology sites through collaborative development of practical, innovative cancer control trials. Our Research Base is committed to directing our research program toward conducting clinical trials to meet our CCOP members'interests, skills, and practice settings while fulfilling the mission of M. D. Anderson and the NCI to eliminate suffering attributable to cancer and its treatments.
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