Project Funding Details

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this proposal is to establish and maintain the NCORP (National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program) for the NRG Oncology research base. The NRG NCORP is the result of aligning the legacy CCOPs (Community Clinical Oncology Programs) from three NCI Cancer Cooperative Groups: NSABP, RTOG and GOG. These groups together have over almost 100 years of combined experience serving as CCOP Research Bases. NRG NCORP, comprised of a multi-disciplinary team of investigators and patient advocates, is poised to carry out the objectives of: 1) designing and conducting cancer prevention, control and screening clinical trials; 2) designing and embedding patient reported outcomes in therapeutic trials 3) designing and conducting cancer care delivery research; 4) enhancing community access to treatment and imaging trials conducted under the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) and 5) integrating disparity research questions into clinical trials and cancer care delivery research. To allow NRG NCORP to meet these goals, the group will: participate fully in NRG Oncology leadership and will determine the scientific direction and prioritization of the NRG NCORP activities and resources and oversee the translational research, clinical trial activities, and correlative studies related to the aims of NG NCORP. With the NRG Statistical and Data Management Center, this team will provide efficient, methodologically up-to-date trial design, monitoring, reporting, and analysis; build an infrastructure to support our cancer care delivery research agenda; provide comprehensive data management quality control and quality assurance programs to ensure high data integrity and timely data for analysis; leverage cutting edge information technology emphasizing security, timeliness, and efficiency of data collection and management; providing RT credentialing and quality assurance; and provide education and training for institutional Clinical Research Associates, Study Chairs, local Principal Investigators and others involved in the NRG NCORP research agenda. Further, to accomplish these aims NRG NCORP will engage fully with NCI-designated NCORP community physicians and patient advocates as well as the NCI and other NCl-sponsored entities (cooperative groups, cancer centers, SPOREs) to collaborate across the NCTN to improve cancer care and quality of life for patients affected by cancer.

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: NRG Oncology is an NCI funded research group formed through the alignment of the legacy research bases of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Program (NSABP), the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG). NRG NCORP research will significantly impact cancer prevention, screening, control and care delivery, and bring state-of-the-art treatment trials to community centers. NRG NCORP will conduct high impact studies for patients with many types of solid tumors with a particular unique focus in both women's health and cancer control issues related to radiation therapy.