Compiling an NCI Best Case Submission

Before you get started, please call OCCAM and speak with one of the staff of the Practice Assessment Program.

Completing a Best Case Series Submission Takes Four Steps:

1. Submission of Required Documentation
   A 1-2 page overview of a patient's history is the initial document forwarded to OCCAM to determine if the case would be appropriate for inclusion in a case series submission. If review of this document suggests that the case would be appropriate for further review, you will be asked to submit copies of relevant documents (e.g. physician notes and operative, pathology, and radiology reports). This involves obtaining the patient's written permission to access his/her medical records, requesting the medical records from the treating institution(s), and briefly summarizing the important details.
2. Submission of Pathology and Radiology Materials
   The paper documentation submitted in Step 1 will be reviewed by the staff of the Practice Assessment Program. When a case is determined to be appropriate for further review (see list of criteria), you will be asked to obtain and submit the relevant radiology films and pathology slides. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) pathologist and radiologist will review these materials.
3. Review and Recommendation of Next Step(s)
   Once all the records and materials have been reviewed, the findings are summarized. If a case is found to be incomplete or otherwise unsatisfactory, you will be informed and given the reason. The remaining cases will serve as the basis for a recommendation of the most appropriate next step which will be presented to the OCCAM Director.
4. Final Decision
   With this information and advice, the Director of OCCAM determines if NCI-initiated research is warranted or if further review or consultation is necessary. Once the final decision has been made, OCCAM's Director works with the other relevant NCI staff to implement the planned next step.

Potential next steps for complete case submissions include:

1. NCI-initiated follow-up research
2. Sharing of well-documented best cases with interested members of the scientific community in order to stimulate research