The goal of the Fairfax CCOP is to increase the quality of cancer care in the Fairfax community by providing opportunities for oncologists, and other physicians and medical professionals interested in cancer care, to enroll patients in scientifically viable, NCI-approved treatment studies and cancer prevention and control studies. The Fairfax CCOP draws upon the many resources of Inova Health System and its associated medical staff. The core group of investigators provides clinical research expertise. Access to patients is facilitated by the high volume of oncology patients served by Fairfax Hospital and the participating physicians, on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. The Cancer Center at Fairfax Hospital contributes the resources and skills to provide comprehensive oncology care. Finally, the Inova Institute of Research and Education provides the administrative, financial and operational expertise to carry out the planned research activities. Fairfax Hospital ranks in the top 100 hospitals nationally in terms of volume of oncology patients. With more than 1500 oncology discharges annually and close to 1400 radiation therapy patients, its patient base is easily sufficient to yield more than enough patients for CCOP trials. The investigators for Fairfax CCOP are already experienced in clinical trials, having entered more than 120 patients into treatment studies and 430 into cancer control studies in the past three years. These trials have included protocols from ECOG, NSABP, POG and Johns Hopkins Oncology Center. The $162,166 funding level requested for the first year of the Fairfax CCOP will provide resources and formal support to expand existing research efforts and to involve a greater number of physicians and their patients in NCI sponsored trials. Staff will consist of a program director/nurse clinician and part-time data managers. In the second and third year, staffing will be slightly increased to implement a more fully developed cancer control and prevention program.
