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news.The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, a multi-institutional international clinical co-operative group, and US Oncology, a national cancer care services company, have entered into a collaboration to increase patient access to national cancer clinical trials with a radiation focus in the community setting.
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The collaboration provides the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) access to US Oncology’s significant patient population, making radiation therapy trials more accessible to cancer patients in the community setting nationwide.
As such, patients receiving cancer care at practices affiliated with US Oncology have access to RTOG trials for disease sites including brain, head and neck, lung, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, cervix, and breast cancers. RTOG trials focus on testing the integration of radiation therapy with new systemic therapies and surgery.
Also, US Oncology’s strong presence in certain parts of the country helps RTOG expand clinical trial participation into areas where it has few or no enrolling members, giving patients access to trials previously unavailable to them, said US Oncology.
US Oncology affiliated practices participating in the RTOG trials program have increased access to new investigational radiation therapy treatments, and the ability to work with other oncologists and leading researchers to advance the quality of care for cancer patients.
The collaboration also marks the first time US Oncology, as a network of member practices, has participated in co-operative group trials in radiation oncology. In addition, US Oncology is said to be the first multi-state, national organization to become an affiliate member of RTOG. Current members include large regional practices and academic practices with several facilities in metropolitan areas.
Vivek Kavadi, medical director of radiation research for US Oncology, said: “We’re on a substantially strong growth track with the RTOG trials. We hope to have 30 affiliated practices participating by next year, and to become a full RTOG member by early 2010. We’re delighted this relationship is going to be a central part of the overall growth for the US Oncology research network.”