The Children's Oncology Group (COG) is the largest childhood cancer research organization in the world encompassing 224 pediatric cancer programs with a mission to cure and prevent childhood and adolescent cancer through scientific discovery and compassionate care. GOG was formed from the merger of four legacy pediatric cooperative groups in 2000 and the COG Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) Research Base was funded in 2002. The proposed COG NCORP Research Base will support 25 Community Sites and 12 Minority/Underserved Community Sites and is the only research base exclusively dedicated to children and adolescents. It will encompass the near totality of U.S. community pediatric oncology. The COG NCORP Research Base will provide access to state-of-the-art cancer treatment at community sites and nationally promote pediatric research in cancer prevention and control, post-treatment surveillance/survivorship, and cancer care delivery. COG trials and laboratory research will translate into more effective treatments with reduced side effects. Community-based pediatric oncologists and other health professionals are pivotal to COG's research mission. NCORP sites provide a means to evaluate advanced treatments administered in community settings. The COG makes available to NCORP sites current treatment protocols with access to investigational agents and special Centralized reference laboratories, continuing training and support for NCORP personnel, quality assurance infrastructure, data management and statistical support, thus promoting scientific discovery and high quality cancer care for young persons. The COG is uniquely positioned to elucidate the impact of different health care delivery systems and characteristics on cancer outcomes and identify determinants of poorer outcomes in certain race/ethnic and underserved groups such as adolescents and young adults. Such research will improve outcomes by eliminating disparities and improving efficiencies for the delivery of cancer therapy and follow-up care in young persons.
