National Cancer Institute, at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NCI Perspective Article- March 2014
Implementation of the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network
"The National Cancer Institute is launching a new clinical trials research network intended to improve treatment for the more than 1.6 million Americans diagnosed with cancer each year. The new system, NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), will facilitate the rapid initiation and completion of cancer clinical trials based on improvements in data management infrastructure, the development of a standardized process for prioritization of new studies, consolidation of its component research groups to improve efficiency, and the implementation of a unified system of research subject protection at over 3,000 clinical trials sites. Grants to fund the program will be awarded early in the spring of 2014**."
"Despite its solid record of accomplishment, the individual components of the NCI’s previous national clinical trials program (the Cooperative Groups) had become less efficient, necessitating changes to several of its operating procedures over the past decade.
The Institute of Medicine suggested four overarching goals to guide improvement efforts:
*Improving the speed and efficiency of the design, launch, and conduct of clinical trials
*Making optimal use of scientific innovations
*Improving selection, prioritization, support, and completion of clinical trials
*Fostering expanded participation of both patients and physicians.
Full article: http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/newsfr ... NCTNlaunch
They are REALLY making some HUGE changes, some of which are pretty exciting! Wanted to start in March 2014**, but was pushed to LATE May (NOW)
*a single, common IT data management system (called Medidata RAVE)
*Tumor specimen banks and the informatics systems in support of the development of predictive molecular tests to guide treatment decisions for patients
Wife of Mike,
Vicki