Background
How many physicians are involved in conducting NCI extramural trials?
Where are these physicians located?

Background

Most cancer patients who elect to participate in clinical trials of new cancer treatments do so as a result of referrals by their physicians and/or because of information describing specific clinical research studies that their physicians confirm to be accurate. Most Americans regard their physicians as the single most reliable source for medical information available. Physicians act as a central conduit for patients electing to participate in clinical research and are, therefore, critically important to the Institute's clinical trials program and patient recruitment efforts.⁸

How many physicians are involved in conducting NCI extramural trials?

In 2004, more than 14,119 extramural investigators were registered to participate in Cooperative Group clinical trials (internal data, unpublished). Currently, 3,200 community cancer specialists and primary-care physicians take part in NCI-sponsored trials through CCOP, and an additional 500 participate in minority-based CCOP research centers (internal data, unpublished).

Where are these physicians located?

These physicians are located at cancer centers, academic or teaching hospitals, community hospitals, and other institutions throughout the U.S. and Canada, including

• 1,718 at Cooperative Group institutions,
• 380 at CCOP community hospitals, and
• 49 at minority-based CCOP community hospitals.*

_{*Source: internal data, unpublished.}

NCI is currently engaged in a major effort to increase the number of physicians taking part in clinical trials. One recently launched initiative is called the Clinical Trials Support Unit Independent Clinical Research Site (CICRS) program. CICRS (pronounced "scissors") provides fully credentialed individual physicians who specialize in oncology or hematology and who have the resources and staff needed to carry out rigorous clinical studies with the opportunity to enroll their patients in a wide range of phase III NCI Cooperative Group clinical trials. Participating physicians are not required to satisfy a minimum annual patient enrollment quota.

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