In addition to an improved clinical trials program, it is essential that physicians and patients are aware of the value of trials and know how to access the system. As part of the new national system, an extensive set of communication programs will deliver tailored information about clinical trials, including Web-based education for health professionals and patients.

Cancer.gov

The National Cancer Institute's Web site provides online access to cancer information for patients and physicians, and serves as the primary cyber-gateway to all of the NCI's programs and divisions. Included are peer-reviewed state-of-the-art summaries on treatment, screening, prevention, supportive care, genetics, and complementary and alternative medicine, as well as NCI's searchable clinical trials database. The Web site also provides contextual information about clinical trials and integrates related resources for patients and physicians. This information will be increasingly important as the clinical trials program evolves and more people participate.

• The site offers extensive information about the "what and how" of clinical trials participation, including a discussion of the patient protections that are in place.
• Timely reports about clinical research advances and features about new areas of clinical investigation are linked to the NCI's cancer information system.
• The site houses information on 1,800 active clinical trials and an archive of 11,000 closed trials, many of which are linked to their resulting publications.
• Cancer information summaries and clinical trial abstracts are available in patient and health professional versions.
• Improvements in search capabilities have made clinical trials abstracts easier to find.

Cancer Information Service (CIS)

The NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) assists cancer patients and their families with the latest, most accurate information in English and Spanish. CIS staff can assist callers in locating clinical trials, treatment centers and local resources.

Education Programs

An immediate way to increase awareness of the importance of clinical trials is through health professionals who have direct contact with patients, patient advocates and the public. A new clinical trials education series is scheduled for fall 2001. The first program in the clinical trials series focuses on the basics of clinical trials education for the interested public and is written in lay language. The second program focuses on educating primary physicians, specialty physicians and nurse practitioners. The third program focuses on outreach opportunities for the interested public and cancer-related organizations. This series will inform the learner about:

• Understanding clinical trials.
• Ensuring protection for patients in clinical trials.
• Participating in clinical trials.
• Communicating information about clinical trials.

A Web-based program, Human Participant Protections Education for Research Teams, provides information about the rights and welfare of human participants in research, and enables physicians, biomedical and behavioral researchers, nurses and data managers to:

• Learn with interactive modules, case studies and exercises.
• Satisfy NIH requirements for obtaining federal research funds.
• Receive continuing medical education (CME) credit or contact hours.
• The program is located at: http://cme.nci.nih.gov.

As these programs become available, information will be posted on NCI's Web site, http://cancer.gov.

New Training Grants

Training the next generation of clinical researchers is vital to the ongoing success of the national cancer clinical trials program. The NCI provides a continuum of opportunities as individuals proceed through career tracks. New sources of training money include:

• Institution-based predoctoral and postdoctoral mentoring programs (K12).
• Individual postdoctoral mentoring programs (K23).
• Junior faculty transition awards to support researchers during the crucial transition from mentored to independent status (K22).
• Programs for established researchers (K24).
• Enhancements to the Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch (CMBB) address the particular needs of minority trainees.

Forming Partnerships

The clinical trials system is linked to government agencies, public and private organizations, institutions, and health care plans and providers committed to cancer research and cancer care. Partner organizations include:

• Advocacy and Voluntary Groups.
• Industry.
• Payers and Providers.

• Director's Consumer Liaison Group (DCLG). As NCI's all-consumer advisory body, the Director's Consumer Liaison Group makes recommendations to the Director of NCI from the consumer advocate perspective on a wide variety of issues, programs, and research priorities.
• Office of Liaison Activities (OLA). NCI's Liaison Activities supports the Institute's research and related programs by fostering strong communications and relationships with the cancer advocacy community, professional societies, scientific organizations and federal agencies.
• The Cancer Information Service Partnership Program works with organizations that reach minority and medically underserved audiences that have limited access to health information and services to increase the public's awareness of and understanding about cancer. The Cancer Information Service can be reached at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
• Consumer Advocates in Research and Related Activities (CARRA) is a new NCI program designed to increase the involvement of people affected by cancer in NCI activities, including clinical trials
• A community-based pilot project, "Cancer Trials...Because Lives Depend on It," tested a new approach to clinical trials accrual in 2000-2001. Partner organizations recruited community leaders who attended training programs and encouraged their communities to consider participating in clinical trials. Evaluation is ongoing. In addition, NCI is developing a new series of clinical trial education and outreach materials based on the lessons learned in the pilot campaign. Materials will be available in fall 2001.

• The Office of Technology and Industrial Relations encourages research and development of new technologies, and promotes and facilitates collaborations between the NCI and the private sector.
• The Technology Transfer Branch facilitates collaborative efforts between the NCI and the private sector by negotiating technology transfer agreements, such as Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs). These agreements contribute to the commercialization and distribution of federally-developed technologies.
• The Developmental Therapeutics Program evaluates new agents, many from private companies, at the pre-clinical level.
• The Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program assists industry collaborators with the clinical development of new drugs.

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), through its Medicare program, now reimburses providers for the cost of routine patient care associated with beneficiaries' participation in clinical trials.
• An agreement between United Health Care and the Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups, Inc., which covers costs for medical care in multi -institutional clinical trials.
• Studies on the patient care costs for clinical trials participants. These have shown that costs for patients on clinical trials are comparable to those receiving standard treatment. This information is pivotal in encouraging more health plans to help pay for clinical trials.
• For more information on these initiatives, contact the Office of Education and Special Initiatives at cancertrials-r@mail.nih.gov.

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