EASTERN COOPERATIVE ONCOLOGY GROUP

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application is submitted on behalf of the AECC in order to request continued funding via the U10 mechanism as a main institutional member of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). Einstein faculty members play key scientific and administrative leadership roles in ECOG, and accrue a large number of minority subjects and women. The Einstein Cancer Center is an NCI-designated Cancer Center that has been continuously funded since 1971, and is currently funded until July 2012 (P30 CA13330). During the last five year funding period ending 4/30/09, Einstein and its affiliates accrued a total of 604 patients into cancer clinical trials via the ECOG mechanism, including 229 therapeutic accruals from the main institution. Moreover, 64% of all subjects enrolled at the main institution were minority subjects. Einstein faculty members have provided scientific leadership in the breast (J. Sparano), lung (R. Perez-Soler), leukemia (R. Gallagher, A. Verma), head/neck (M. Haigentz), thoracic surgery (S. Keller), and Gl (L. Rajdev) committees. Einstein-affiliated investigators have authored or co-authored 28 manuscripts and 69 abstracts related to ECOG studies, including publications that have influenced the standard of care for operable breast cancer (E1199 - NEJM, 2008) and influenced choice of the standard adjuvant chemotherapy for the ongoing adjuvant E5103 breast cancer trial. In addition, presentations at major scientific meetings have contributed to biomarker development in breast cancer, including oral presentations at the 2008 ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium, 2009 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, and 2009 ASCO meeting. Furthermore, the APL Core Laboratory at Einstein (R. Gallagher) has supported ECOG's translational research, and the Einstein Center for Epigenomics (J. Greally) is positioned to play a major role in the next funding period. The principal investigator of this application (J. Sparano) also pays a key administrative role in ECOG as an Executive Committee member, Associate Chair for Disease and Modality Oriented Research, Vice- Chair of the Breast Committee, TAILORx study chair, and program chair for the annual ECOG Young Investigator's Symposium. Finally, the recent recruitment Dr. Steven Libutti will serve to expand the surgical oncology program and draw more patients to Einstein, and of Dr. Bruce Rapkin will serve to enhance accrual by integrating clinical trials into the spectrum of standard care. In addition, Dr. Perez-Soler was recently awarded a K12 Calabresi grant which will support the recruitment of additional junior medical oncology faculty members engaged in clinical research. RELEVANCE: To provide clinical scientific leadership and resources critical for achieving the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) mission of reducing cancer-related morbidity and mortality by improving the management of early- and advanced-stage carreer.