Cook County Hospital, Department of Surgery, MD-CCOP

Zaren, Howard

Abstract

Cook County Hospital (CCH) in Chicago Illinois, is the major tertiary care site for the County of Cook Bureau of Health Services (CCBHS). The majority of cancer cases are from minorityundeserved populations, and are predominantly African-American (AA). Department of Surgery, CCH plans to develop, strengthen and improve cancer care and research through the development of a Minority-Based (MB) CCOP. CCH recruited Dr. Howard Zaren, a Principal Investigator (P.I.) with strong experience in oncology program building, to direct these efforts in 1999. The MB-CCOP effort will consolidate the operational base for cancer research activity; support core infrastructure for NCI Cooperative Group Oncology Studies; strengthen a relationship with an established Cancer Research Base, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project (NSABP) with an initial major focus on breast cancer (the leading cause of cancer at CCH); increase support for oncologists and other cancer related health care providers; encourage multidisciplinary cancer care and integrated research (clinical, basic science and epidemiological); bring state-of-the-art quality oncology care to minority-undeserved populations in their own communities; strengthen and facilitate transfer of new technology through participation in NCIapproved clinical trials; facilitate a new focus on prevention & control as methods for reducing cancer incidence, morbidity & mortality, with special emphasis on primary care physician involvement and education; extend and promote research involvement and opportunities with emphasis on the particular needs of the community served, promoting outreach and education; monitor and evaluate outcomes to ascertain program effectiveness and determine new growth areas; and in the future develop the program to include other common tumor sites (colon and rectum, lung, and head and neck) and relationships with new Cancer Research Bases. Over the past year, 37 patients with breast cancer, have been enrolled on NSABP treatment trials, and 14 patients with high risk for breast cancer have been recruited to the P2 NSABP prevention study.