As the only NCI-designated cancer center for inland Northern California's approximately 6 million people, the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCDCCC) provides both primary cancer care to a large and growing population, and serves as the tertiary referral center for specialty cancer care for the region. For this application as a NCTN Network Lead Academic Participating Site, led by Drs. David R Gandara, MD, and Richard K Valicenti, MD, UCDCCC will leverage an already established multidisciplinary team of cancer investigators from medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical specialties, molecular biology/genomics, pathology, radiology, biostatistics, nursing, and clinical research support to provide clinical trials expertise, scientific and administrative leadership and accrual in NCTN studies across a broad range of tumor types and throughout the NCTN group network. UCDCCC and its faculty have a long-standing and proven track record of impactful contribution to NCI-sponsored clinical trials activities, as well as to NCI-related steering committees and initiatives. This UG1 effort is anticipated to increase both the scope and reach of participation, including integrating additional researchers and providing career development opportunities for new faculty and junior investigators. With an already strong track record in translational and clinical research leadership for NCTN, UCDCCC is poised to exploit unique institutional strengths in serving as a laboratory resource for clinical trials and contributing to hypothesis-driven clinical research. Based on over two decades of already serving as the clinical trials ?hub? for accrual to NCI-sponsored studies throughout North-Central California, this NCTN UG1 initiative creates a additional opportunities for UCDCCC to both increase main site accrual and to extend access to NCTN trials into the community through the UCDCCC Cancer Care Network and affiliate site, which includes substantial underserved, rural and minority patient populations. In summary, UCDCCC represents an interdisciplinary organizational and leadership structure linked to a clinical trials program that will be impactful and ensure robust accrual to NCTN trials.
This UCDCCC UG1 program, to be pursued by an already well-established and accomplished multidisciplinary clinical research team, will provide scientific and administrative leadership to NCTN, while also ensuring robust accrual and access to NCTN trials throughout the North-Central California community. In summary, UCDCCC will provide an impactful contribution to NCTN's goal for improving human health through the quality completion of large innovative clinical trials across a wide range of tumor types.
