DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant):
The University of Rochester is a health and research institute ideally suited to help achieve the goals of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG). These goals include: improve standards of care to adult cancer patients advance the understanding of cancer biology via translational research, promote treatment and supportive care to outreach sites through NCI-supported clinical trial participation, explore innovative multi-modality treatment combinations, support cancer prevention efforts, and refine methodology of clinical cancer trials. Our activity (2002 -to date) as fiinded members of the Southwest Oncology Group, indicates our continuous investment in and commitment to clinical and basic laboratory research, patient care, and education. To date we have enrolled 762 cases and served as study chair or co-chair of 14 SWOG protocols; 27 multidisciplinary members actively participated in one or more committees (seven faculty members served as chair and/or co-chair of 21 committees). Eleven faculty members coordinated or co-coordinated 20 protocols and 2studies currently in development. As we recruit more clinical-scientific faculty and further develop interactive, collaborative, multimodality cancer programs, we plan to produce additional important contributions to SWOG. The University of Rochester SWOG program involves 1) The University's James P. Wilmot Cancer Center and the University's Strong Memorial Hospital, a primary tertiary care center. The Cancer Center and hospital serves a population of approximately 1.4 million people 2) Six outreach facilities located In the regronal Northeast section of the country (contiguous states of New York and Massachusetts) Through this Southwest Oncology Group apphcation, our program continues to support and attain objectives to 1) participatein multi-modal Phase II/III clinical trials, 2) accelerate the advances of cancer therapy in adult patients through increased recruitment, 3) enhance basic science clinical interactions; 4) support cancer control and prevention initiatives, 5) provide wide dissemination of information through quality and timely data collection and publications, 6) continueservice to the administrative agenda of the Southwest Oncology Group. |