Southeast Cancer Control Consortium, Inc

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Southeast Cancer Control Consortium, Inc. (SCCC), CCOP has been funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) since 1987. The SCCC is a consortium of 20 components/24 institutions in a five-state area of the southeast. The SCCC's long-term objective is to bring state-of-the-art clinical trials to an arena of community institutions to increase access. The catchment of the referral communities is estimated at 8.4 million, with demographics reflecting a low population density, limited socioeconomic and educational development, female percentage greater than 50%, and ratio of African American to white population almost twice the national average. There are 155 participating physicians. Each component has a designated "Community Leader" (CL) and "Study Coordinator" (SC) responsible for coordination of the program among participating physicians and the research team. The research team is comprised of oncology nurses and clinical research associates (CRAs) trained by the SCCC Operations Office in compliance to federal and research base (RB) regulations. The SCCC Operations Office coordinates the activities by providing: telephone/fax/email information; website that supplies documents and queries for RBs; Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals monitoring; RB protocol semimonthly mailings; conduction of component on-site visits; data management training/continuing education programs; preparation of grant applications and reports; and coordination of RB audits. The SCCC Operations Office provides the components with clinical trials from eight RBs. Each component determines the studies applicable to their area and the local IRB, which is authorized by the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP), grants approval. The CLs and SCs educate and facilitate trial implementation. The expansive network supplies physicians' access to the most advanced level of cancer programs, so patients/participants may access current options. The goal is to reduce morbidity and mortality of cancer by overcoming ethnic, minority, gender, and socioeconomic barriers to clinical trial participation through increasing the number of physicians participating in cancer research with compliance maintained in protocol guidelines. RELEVANCE: The mission is to offer access to clinical trials, thus improving the quality of cancer treatment, reducing the incidence through prevention education, and reducing morbidity and mortality through early diagnosis. The opportunity to impart knowledge to minority groups, women, and underserved populations in rural communities increases the chance for these individuals to have comparable medical access.