Nemours is internationally recognized, multi-site pediatric healthcare system that is built upon a centralized, efficient and collaborative research infrastructure committed to improving the health of all children. In 2014, with over 25 years' experience in clinical trials research, the four Nemours Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (NCCBD) sites received funding as a NCI Community Oncology Research Program dedicated to children with cancer through participation in the Children's Oncology Group (COG) Research Base trials. The Nemours Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children (NCCBD-Wilmington, DE), Nemours Children's Clinics (NCCBD-Jacksonville, Florida), Nemours Children's Hospital (NCCBD-Orlando, FL) and Sacred Heart, Pensacola, FL all had outstanding records of clinical trial participation and collaboration under the Nemours NCORP operational structure. In the current application, the Nemours NCORP will add a fifth site, Broward Heath (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) to improve the enrollment of minority and underserved patients. The mission of the Nemours NCORP is to ensure that each child and young adolescent within our community-based catchment area has the opportunity to participate in national cancer control, cancer prevention, and cancer treatment trials as appropriate. The Nemours NCORP will continue to sustain systems supportive of cancer control, cancer prevention, care delivery, and treatment research, as well as to maintain robust quality management and improvement practices. Through Nemours' already well-established network of healthcare institutions, community-based physician practices, and strong community ties, we will continue to extend access to research trials to children from all ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. Inclusive of all sites, the Nemours NCORP is consistently among the highest enrolling contributors to the Children's Oncology Group Research Base studies, providing the opportunity to learn from all children with ultra-rare diseases. The Nemours NCORP will continue and grow a childhood cancer research infrastructure that achieves the following aims: 1) To ensure continued robust accrual to NCI-funded clinical trials, through the meaningful use of electronic resources and best practices across the continuum of care, 2) To expand and maintain an infrastructure supportive of productive and efficient participation in NCI-funded Cancer Care Prevention (CCP) and Care Delivery (CD) Research (CCDR), and 3) To foster community engagement through dissemination, discussion, and adoption of results from clinical trials, and through physician, family, and community education.
The Nemours NCORP will provide the leadership and clinical trial infrastructure to support five geographically distinct community-based pediatric oncology programs in enrollment of children on cancer care, prevention, care delivery, therapeutic and biology trials. Childhood cancer is an ultra-rare disease, and the Nemours NCORP is among the leaders in clinical trial enrollment. Progress in childhood cancer will only be possible with expertly led, administered and monitored clinical trial participation.
