NCCN Qualifies First Community Sites for Affiliate Research Project

The NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP) has qualified seven sites from Fox Chase Cancer Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and University of Alabama at Birmingham as part of its Affiliate Research Project (ARP). The ARP is dedicated to improving patient outcomes and advancing clinical research through collaboration with NCCN, NCCN Member Institutions, and community-based affiliate networks.

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The NCCN Affiliate Research Project (ARP), developed by the NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP), has qualified its first seven affiliate sites from the Fox Chase Cancer Center Partners Program, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Affiliate Network, and University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Care Network. The newly qualified ARP community sites are:

“We are delighted with the addition of community affiliates. The qualification of these sites will not only enhance studies through the diversification of patient cohorts, but also expedite accrual so that important research questions can be answered in a timely manner”

Fox Chase Cancer Center

• Virtua, under the direction of Principal Investigator (PI) Michael Entmacher, MD, includes Hematology Oncology Associates of South Jersey, Mt. Holly, NJ, and Comprehensive Cancer and Hematology Specialists, Voorhees, NJ
• AtlantiCare Cancer Care Institute, under the direction of PIs Michael J. Kane, MP, FACP, and James C. Wurzer, MD, PhD, Egg Harbor Township, NJ

• South Jersey Healthcare, under the direction of PI Kush Sachdeva, MD, includes Southern Oncology-Hematology Associates, P.A., Vineland, NJ, South Jersey Radiation Oncology, P.C., Vineland, NJ and The Minniti Center - Medical Oncology & Hematology, Mickleton, NJ

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

• Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, under the direction of Principal Investigator (PI) Jack Hensold, MD, includes Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center, Bozeman, MT
• MultiCare Health System, under the direction of PI John A. Keech Jr., DO, FACOI, includes MultiCare Regional Cancer Center, Tacoma, WA
• Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, under the direction of PI Mitchell Garrison, MD, includes Wenatchee Valley Cancer Treatment Center, Wenatchee, WA

University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Care Network

• Medical Center of Central Georgia, under the direction of Principal Investigator (PI) Frederick Schnell, MD, includes Central Georgia Cancer Care, P.C., Central Georgia Gynecologic Oncology, and Central Georgia Radiation Oncology Center, Macon, GA

The mission of the NCCN ARP is to improve patient outcomes and to advance medical science through clinical research conducted through collaboration among the National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®), the 21 NCCN Member Institutions, and their community-based affiliate networks. The NCCN ARP plans to approve a minimum of three additional sites this year to potentially support more than 50 actively enrolling ORP trials.

The NCCN ORP is organized to obtain funding to support scientifically meritorious research projects at NCCN Member Institutions. Policies and standards for the program were set by the NCCN Investigator Steering Committee, a group comprised of senior research physicians appointed by each NCCN Member Institution. To date, the NCCN ORP has received more than $36 million in research grants from pharmaceutical and biotech companies to support investigator- initiated trials including, but not limited to, evaluation of innovative regimens, mechanism of action, and exploration of extended uses for specific agents.

Affiliate sites of the ORP will have access to new and innovative cancer drugs for their patients in collaboration with NCCN Member Institutions, and Principal Investigators of NCCN-funded studies will have access to NCCN-qualified community sites. “We are delighted with the addition of community affiliates. The qualification of these sites will not only enhance studies through the diversification of patient cohorts, but also expedite accrual so that important research questions can be answered in a timely manner”, said Diane Paul, Vice President of the Oncology Research Program.

About Fox Chase Cancer Center

Fox Chase Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit institution formed in 1974 by the union of American Oncologic Hospital (one of the nation's first cancer hospitals, established in 1904) and the Institute for Cancer Research (founded in 1927). Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase has participated in the NCCN ORP program since 1999.

About Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) unites doctors from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine, and Seattle Children’s in one world-class treatment center. SCCA was incorporated in 1998 as a separate, jointly governed non-profit that includes the cancer programs of the three partners. Each partner has equal ownership of SCCA. Dr. Fred Appelbaum is the Executive Director of SCCA. SCCA's purpose is to provide state-of-the-art, patient and family centered care; support the conduct of cancer clinical research and education; enhance access to improved cancer interventions; and advance the standard of cancer care regionally and beyond.

About University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center

One of the nation's leading cancer research and treatment centers, the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center located in a six-state region that includes Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina and Georgia. UAB's cancer services are routinely recognized as being among the nation's best. The center is a leader in groundbreaking research, reducing cancer disparities and leading-edge patient care.

The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center is home to an outstanding faculty of more than 330 physicians and researchers, many of whom are internationally and nationally recognized for their expertise in oncology. The center treats an estimated 5,000 new patients each year.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®), a not-for-profit alliance of 21 of the world’s leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/University of Tennessee Cancer Institute, Memphis, TN; Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN.

Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.com.