The University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center (UAB CCC) has a long history of participation within the nation's cancer related Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program. Specifically, UAB was a founding member of the GOG, and has been a member of RTOG, ECOG, ACRIN. CALGB, NSABP, and SWOG. UAB CCC is a current member of the ALLIANCE, ECOG-ACRIN, NRG and SWOG cooperative groups. The UAB NCTN Deep South Research Consortium (DSRC) is currently a Lead Academic Participating Site in the NCI's National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) Program, and now submits this proposal to continue to serve the NCI in this capacity. It is our intention to continue as a leading contributor of scientific leaders and clinical trial participants to the NCTN Program in the U.S. and particularly in the Southeast. To accomplish this overall vision, we propose the following specific aims: 1) To further enhance the involvement of existing UAB CCC scientific leadership in NCTN Cooperative Group related clinical and translational research and to develop the next generation of NCTN Cooperative group scientific leaders within the UAB CCC, and 2) To further refine a clinical trials process within the DSRC that optimizes accrual of potentially eligible cancer patients and patients at risk for cancer to NCTN Cooperative Group clinical trials, and 3) To further increase minority accrual to NCTN Cooperative Group trials. We include in this proposal a detailed description of our DSRC cooperative group scientific and patient accrual contributions and accomplishments, a leadership and organizational structure for our Consortium, and how we intend to utilize existing DSRC infrastructure to achieve our aims. Further, we also include a detailed description of our Junior Investigator Recruitment and Mentoring Program.
This proposal will ensure that the NCTN Program is provided access through the UAB NCTN Deep South Research Consortium (DSRC) to clinical and translational investigators with a broad interest in cancer biology and experimental therapeutics. Importantly, this proposal will also provide NCTN Cooperative Group trials access to a patient population that based upon its demographics and socioeconomic status is distinct from other areas in the United States.
