Cancer Cooperative Groups
The Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program, which is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is designed to promote and support clinical trials (research studies) of new cancer treatments, explore methods of cancer prevention and early detection, and study quality-of-life issues and rehabilitation during and after treatment.
Cooperative groups include researchers, cancer centers, and community physicians throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. They work with NCI to identify important questions in cancer research and to design clinical trials to answer these questions. The Cooperative Group Program involves more than 3,100 institutions that contribute patients to group-conducted clinical trials. More than 14,000 individual investigators are registered to participate in NCI-supported cooperative group studies. Cooperative groups place more than 25,000 new patients into cancer treatment clinical trials each year.
The groups differ in structure and research focus. Some groups, such as the Children's Oncology Group, consist of investigators that have a particular medical specialty (e.g., pediatrics); some, such as the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, study a specific type of cancer therapy; and others, such as the Gynecologic Oncology Group, focus on a group of related cancers. The groups share a common purpose—to develop and conduct large-scale trials in multi-institutional settings. For more information: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/NCI/clinical-trials-cooperative-group
Clinical Trials Cooperative Groups (as of 12/2010)
- American College of Radiology Imaging Network
- American College of Surgeons Oncology Group
- Cancer and Leukemia Group B
- Children's Oncology Group
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group
- European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer
- Gynecologic Oncology Group
- National Cancer Institute of Canada, Clinical Trials Group
- National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project
- North Central Cancer Treatment Group
- Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
- Southwest Oncology Group
The Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups was established in 1997 to address its members’ shared goal of improving the cancer clinical trials system. Today, the Coalition is comprised of members from 10 National Cancer Institute-sponsored Cooperative Groups, the country’s leading patient advocacy organizations, and thousands of oncology and cancer research specialists. The Coalition also works with its partners in the healthcare industry to streamline and promote cancer clinical trials in both the public and private sectors. Each Coalition Cooperative Group member has a patient advocate committee to ensure that the patient perspective is integral to the design and implementation of Cooperative Group clinical trials, and to promote patient-centered advances in research and timely dissemination of research results. In order to bring the patient perspective to the Coalition activities, representatives from the patient advocate committees from the Cooperative Groups form the Coalition’s Patient Advisory Board (PAB). For more information: http://www.cancertrialshelp.org/patient_content/pdMainContent.aspx?intAppMode=1
Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Group Patient Advisory Board Members (as of 12/2010)
- American College of Radiology (ACRIN)
- Barbara K. LeStage
- Peggy Anthony
- American College of Surgeons (ACOSOG)
- Bettye L. Green
- Peggy Devine
- Cancer & Leukemia Group B (CALGB)
- Deborah Collyar
- Laura Cleveland
- Children’s Oncology Group (COG)
- Marjorie (Missy) Layfield
- John Mussman, Esq.
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)
- Michael S. Katz, Chair, Patient Advisory Board
- Mary Lou Smith
- Gynecology Oncology Group (GOG)
- Mary Jackson Scroggins
- National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project (NSABP)
- Pat Halpin-Murphy
- Kathleen Murphy
- North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG)
- Cynthia Chauhan
- Wayland Eppard
- Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG)
- Pamela McAllister
- Thomas G. Simon
