Public HealthCancer Research Center Of Hawai'i Clinical Trials Program Receives 2009 Clinical Trials Participation Award From American Society Of Clinical Oncology
The Cancer Research Center of Hawaii"s (CRCH) Minority Based
Community Clinical Oncology Program (MBCCOP) will receive the 2009 Clinical
Trials Participation Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology
(ASCO) at the organization"s Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida on May 31.
Dr. Jeffrey Berenberg, co-principal investigator of the MBCCOP and chief of
the Hematology/Oncology Department at Tripler Army Medical Center, will
receive the award on behalf of the Cancer Research Center.
"This award is a credit to all the cancer care physicians, nurses, and
hospitals who have actively participated in the clinical trials activities of
the CRCH. The residents of this state should feel reassured that the cancer
care providers in Hawai"i truly believe in offering the newest cancer
treatments and prevention strategies to their patients," states Dr. Jonathan
Cho, principal investigator of the MBCCOP and a medical oncologist and
hematologist with OnCare Hawaii.
The award was established by ASCO in 2001 to increase clinical trials
awareness and participation by physicians. From 2003-2008, 63 awards have
been bestowed. Award recipients are nominated by the National Cancer
Institute"s (NCI) Cooperative Groups, community-based oncology research
networks, and ASCO"s Clinical Practice Committee. The CRCH was nominated by
Dr. Lawrence Baker, chairman of the Southwest Oncology Group, one of the
oldest and largest cooperative groups in which the CRCH actively participates
to provide Hawai"i"s citizens access to the latest cancer clinical trials.
Nominations for the award are based on the following criteria: quality
community-based research program with high-quality audit reports and
investigators in good standing; total patient accrual (registrations);
accrual of minority and/or underrepresented populations; increase in level of
accrual over the last three years; and a practice that has not received this
award in the past five years.
Clinical trials are the research mechanism through which patient care and
treatment are improved. Willing and qualified Individuals participate in
organized studies to find better ways to screen for, prevent, treat, and
rehabilitate subjects who may be healthy or afflicted with a disease such as
cancer. Nationally the participation rate in cancer clinical trials is 3 to 5
percent÷ among adults and 60 to 70 percent among children. In Hawai"i, adult
participation has traditionally been lower at 2 to3 percent, and higher for
children at 80 to 85 percent.
The Cancer Research Center of Hawai"i lacks a clinical facility typically
found at major U.S. Mainland comprehensive cancer centers that conduct
research and provide patient care through clinical trials. The MBCCOP has
reached out to community oncologists and medical centers and implemented
strategies to make it easier for them to have their patients participate in
clinical trials. These include screening records of newly diagnosed patients
to determine eligibility to participate in trials, assisting with counseling
of patients and families during the informed consent process, and helping
oncologists monitor their patients while on study and updating them on any
changes to the studies.
Tremendous efforts are also expended through regular meetings, email
communications, and personal contacts to keep oncologists, nurses, and
pharmacists updated on the most current information on all active clinical
trials. These strategies have helped to significantly improve the level of
Hawai"i"s clinical trials participation, distinguishing the CRCH to receive
the ASCO Clinical Trials Participation Award.
Other cooperative groups in which the CRCH participates are the Children"s
Oncology Group (COG), NCI"s Cancer Trials Support Unit (CTSU), Gynecologic
Oncology Group (GOG), National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project
(NSABP), North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG), Radiation Oncology
Group (RTOG), and University of Rochester Cancer Center (URCC).
The Cancer Research Center of Hawai"i