A Model For Increasing Availability Of Community-Based Cancer Trials

This community cancer clinical trials model is a program for increasing the availability of cancer trials in minority and rural communities. The model is supported by an equal partnership between an academic institution, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and a rural community cancer center, Shore Health System's Regional Cancer Center and Eastern Shore Oncology, PC. The objectives of this program are to: 1) establish a clinical-academic partnership, which fosters increased availability of cancer trials for patients on the Eastern Shore of Maryland; 2) provide intensive health care professional continuing education on clinical trials; 3) provide intensive community awareness and educational activities on clinical trials for the general public and minority communities; and 4) provide clinical trials infrastructure support in the form of a nurse community educator and a clinical trial nurse data manager through private, federal and state funding sources.

The goal of this program is to increase the availability of cancer trials and increase patient enrollment in cancer trials in an underserved rural community in Maryland.

In a five-year period, the availability of cancer clinical trials through Shore Health System's Regional Cancer Center has increased over 700%, from two in 1999 to 15 in 2003. As of May 31, 2004, 19 cancer trial protocols, treatment and prevention, are open at the Regional Cancer Center. During this same time period, the cumulative number of patients on trials increased from only two patients in 1999 to 22 patients in 2002 and 41 patients in 2003. As of early June 2004, 47 patients have been enrolled in treatment and prevention trials at the Regional Cancer Center. Membership by the Regional Cancer Center in cancer cooperative groups and the NCI cancer trial support unit increased from zero membership in 1999 to current membership in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), and NCI Clinical Trials Support Unit (CTSU). In addition, of the Regional Cancer Center enrollees on SELECT, the NCI and SWOG-sponsored chemoprevention trial for prostate cancer, 25% of patients enrolled were rural African American.