DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Washington University has been a CALGB main member institution since 1986. Over the last six years, the Siteman Cancer Center (SCC) at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine (WUMS) has grown to become one of the leading NCI Cancer Centers nationally. Designated in 2004 as a Comprehensive Cancer Center and in 2006 as the 20th member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), Siteman has enhanced its collaborative and translational infrastructure, which has increased the scientific capacity of the CALGB at Washington University. During the last grant cycle, 3 Washington University faculty members chaired CALGB scientific committees, and 11 additional faculty members served on scientific committees. From 2003-2008, WUMS faculty chaired 26 treatment and correlative science protocols and co-authored 74 CALGB publications. WUMS has continued to accrue well throughout the entire grant period, ranking in the top 5 among CALGB institutions every year. WUMS accrual to all CALGB trials during this grant period averaged 293/year with an average of 140 patients/year accrued to therapeutic trials. Our portfolio remains diverse with excellent accruals to breast, Gl, GU, leukemia and lymphoma studies. Several new faculty recruits in 2007-2008 will further enhance our ability to contribute to the CALGB scientific mission, specifically in the areas of breast cancer, pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, thoracic oncology, leukemia, and lymphoma. Collaborations are ongoing between WUMS investigators and the CALGB leukemia tissue bank, with continued efforts to identify key mutations in AML. Goals for the next grant cycle include 1) continued efforts to increase accruals, particularly minority accruals to CALGB trials, 2) increased involvement of WUMS investigators in CALGB scientific committees specifically leukemia, PET, Gl, and imaging 3) increased involvement of our very experienced and outstanding CRAs in the audit and CRA committees, and 4) improved communication between WUMS and CALGB regarding resources available at the SCC that will enhance the scientific mission of CALGB, specifically our ability to perform high quality correlative studies.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:
Nancy L. Bartlett is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Washington University who has been the Principal Investigator for CALGB since 1994. She has chaired multiple CALGB protocols and currently serves on the Board of Directors, Lymphoma Committee, and the Membership Committee for CALGB. She is fully qualified for her position.
PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS (Resume): ACCEPTABLE
Safeguards are adequate.
INCLUSION OF WOMEN PLAN (Resume): ACCEPTABLE
Accrual of women is acceptable.
INCLUSION OF MINORITIES PLAN (Resume): ACCEPTABLE
Minority accrual is acceptable. Additional information about the plans to increase minority accrual would be helpful.
INCLUSION OF CHILDREN PLAN (Resume): ACCEPTABLE
Subjects older than age 18 are enrolled.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION:
This application is rated excellent and is recommended for six years of support. |