At the 2010 Annual Meeting in June, ASCO presented its 2010 Clinical Trials Participation Awards (CTPAs) to 10 community oncology practices for their commitment to improving the care of patients with cancer through increased participation in clinical trials.

The CTPAs are designed to recognize and promote high-quality clinical research sites with the intent of increasing the awareness of and participation in clinical trials among physicians. The awards are presented to community-based practices participating in clinical trials, which are vital to ensuring continued advancement of cancer therapies.

The 2010 award recipients include Dean Hematology Oncology (Madison, Wisconsin); Gundersen Lutheran Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (La Crosse, Wisconsin); New Hanover Radiation Oncology Center (Wilmington, North Carolina); Oncology Alliance (Wauwatosa, Wisconsin); Saint Francis Medical Center/Cancer Treatment Center (Grand Island, Nebraska); Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute, Greater Baltimore Medical Center (Baltimore, Maryland); Sanford Hematology and Oncology (Sioux Falls, South Dakota); Southeastern Medical Oncology Center (Goldsboro, North Carolina); The Virginia Mason Cancer Institute (Seattle, Washington); and The West Clinic (Memphis, Tennessee).

Dedication and Commitment of Resources

"Clinical research activities in the community continue to be critical to the successful completion of trials and the advancing of the continuum of cancer care," said Robin Zon, MD, FACP, Chair of the CTPA Review and Selection Subcommittee. "The Clinical Trial Participation Awards recognize sites that have proven dedication and commitment of resources while achieving high standards of performance in their clinical trial program," she added.

ASCO supports patient access to investigational and proven therapies offered in clinical research studies. For many patients, clinical trials provide the best means for accessing a new cancer therapy, and these awards are efforts to both reward practices and provide public recognition for their efforts. Winners were determined to have a high-quality, community-based research program with exemplary audit reports and investigators in good standing. Practices that had received this award in the past 5 years were considered ineligible.

ASCO solicits award nominees from each of the NCI Cooperative Groups and the NCI Community Clinical Oncology Program. Nominations are also solicited from major community-based oncology research networks. All nominated practices were invited to formally submit an application, which was then peer-reviewed by the CTPA Review and Selection Subcommittee of the ASCO Cancer Research Committee. Additional members of this subcommittee include James Feusner, MD; Stephen Grubbs, MD; Rogerio Lilenbaum, MD; Alan P. Lyss, MD; and Gregory H. Reaman, MD.
The CTPAs were established in 2003 after a recommendation of the 2001 Clinical Trials Task Force to increase initiatives that enhance physician awareness of and participation in clinical trials. Since 2003, a total of 81 awards have been bestowed. The CTPAs are sponsored by the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups. For additional information about the CTPA, please send an e-mail to grants@asco.org or visit www.ascocancerfoundation.org/CTPA. ■

Selected portions reprinted from ASCO Daily News. © American Society of Clinical Oncology. "Clinical Trials Participation Awards Recognize Efforts of Community-based Practices." ASCO Daily News 13:28C, 2010. All rights reserved.