The purpose of this application is to provide continued access to NCI supported Cancer Treatment, Prevention and Control trials for the residents of the mid-Gulf Coast region. The mid-Gulf Coast has been severely damaged over the past three years as a result of repeated natural catastrophes, first with partial destruction of Pensacola, FL by hurricane Ivan, then New Orleans, Biloxi/Gulfport by hurricane Katrina. Rebuilding is far from complete, and healthcare services have been adversely affected with still only basic medical care available in some of the affected areas. As a result, sustaining more complex subspecialty care at national levels remains a persistent challenge. Although Mobile was also declared a federally disaster zone after Katrina, it had recovered much quicker than the communities to the West. This permitted continuation of MBCCOP related activities with little downtime and also providing continuation of followups and protocol care for displaced cancer patients of that region. Even before the storms, the next closest structures capable of providing NCI supported cooperative group studies were located in Birmingham, AL to the North (260 miles), to the East in Gainesville, FL (390 miles), and New Orleans, LA with Tulane, LSD and the Ochsner clinic (150 miles). With LSU having completely lost their entire hospitals and oncology services Tulane did partially, and Ochsner's capacity also remains compromised. The Gulf Coast MBCCOP had accrued 103 new patients to protocols and was the fifth highest accruing CCOP for control and prevention trials in the country during the previous years, as well as having 617 active patients in followup. The Biloxi/Gulfport affiliates of the Gulf Coast MBCCOP remain closed since Katrina. For administrative and for reasons of competition, the Gulf Coast MBCCOP grantee Institution, Mobile Infirmary Medical Center terminated the working relationship with the entire group of oncologists who supported the grant as Investigators. This disabled the grant and forced the NCI to terminate it. The same group of oncologists is now applying to revive the grant under a new Institution. The environment is ideal for minority based clinical research with a 46 percent African American population in the city of Mobile. Moreover, a MBCCOP is a regionally desperately needed community resource. The primary practice location of the clinic is located in downtown Mobile, an area with even a much higher concentration of minorities in these neighborhoods. Cooperative group studies are already in place at the new site and a new IRB of record has been established. Since the termination, in the interim period, the applicant group continues to take care of all tasks and responsibilities related to the MBCCOP such as followups. The previous PI of the grant, Dr. Conrad had performed research to investigate causes for the reluctance of African Americans in participation in clinical trials. We propose to expand on this in collaboration with Dr. Conrad who will serve so- a consultant nn thic nrnnneal ? ? ?
