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Gastrointestinal Steering Committee

The NCI Gastrointestinal Cancer Steering Committee (GISC) was established in January 2006. At monthly meetings, the GISC addresses the design, prioritization, and evaluation of concepts for phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials in adult gastrointestinal cancers. View the GISC member roster.

Strategic Priorities

  • GISC Strategic Priorities were formulated with the goal that the majority of submitted concepts would align with these established priorities. They address areas of unmet clinical need, important unanswered clinical questions, and potential new approaches to disease treatment.

Task Forces

  • Task forces were established to discuss concepts and make recommendations for clinical trial planning meetings in their disease subtype:
    • esophagogastric
    • colon
    • hepatobiliary
    • neuroendocrine tumors
    • pancreas
    • rectal-anal

Clinical Trials Planning Meetings (CTPMs)

CTPMs are held periodically and focus on specific clinical trial related topics. The following are important GISC CTPMs:

  • Gastroesophageal Carcinoma Immuno-Oncology CTPM 
    The NCI Esophagogastric Task Force held a CTPM in May 2018 to develop strategies for the incorporation of immuno-oncology therapeutic approaches for gastric and esophageal cancer and to identify clinical trial designs to address this unmet need. Read the executive summary.
  • Rectal-Anal and Colon Cancers CTPM
    In January 2011, the NCI Colon and Rectal-Anal Task Forces held a CTPM to develop a blueprint for the next generation of clinical trials for patients with colorectal cancer. Read the executive summary.
  • Neuroendocrine Tumors CTPM
    Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) arise from a variety of anatomic sites and share the capacity for production of hormones and vasoactive peptides. The diagnosed incidence of NETs has been increasing, and the estimated prevalence in the United States exceeds 100,000 individuals. The November 2009 CTPM was convened to identify key unmet needs, develop appropriate study end points, standardize clinical trial inclusion criteria, and formulate priorities for future NET studies for the US cooperative group program. Read the executive summary and Consensus Report on Future Directions in the Treatment of Neuroendocrine Tumors.
  • Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors CTPM
    The design and execution of clinical gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) research is difficult due to the extraordinary efficacy of first-line therapy with imatinib mesylate, as well as subsequent salvage therapy. Members of the GIST Task Force plus other experts in the field met in April 2009 to discuss appropriate endpoints for GIST studies and related issues. Read the executive summary.
  • Hepatocellular Tumors CTPM
    The most common primary malignancy of the liver in adults is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, or hepatoma). It is currently the fifth most common solid tumor worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. In December 2008, the GISC convened a CTPM to more fully understand the complexities of HCC and to identify the key unanswered research questions and clinical trial priorities for HCC. Read the executive summary and Consensus Recommendations.
  • Pancreatic Cancer CTPM
    Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality, despite significant improvements in diagnostic imaging and operative mortality rates. The 5-year survival rate remains less than 5% because of microscopic or gross metastatic disease at time of diagnosis. The November 30 - December 1, 2007 meeting concluded that better preclinical tumor models and well-designed phase II studies were needed. Read the Consensus Report.

Contact

For more information, contact Wolf Lindwasser, Ph.D. at wolf.lindwasser@nih.gov.