Q: Why is NCI conducting the NCI
Community Cancer Centers Program pilot?
A: Evidence from a wide range of
studies suggests that cancer patients diagnosed and treated in a setting of
multi-specialty care and clinical research may live longer and have a better
quality of life. The NCCCP pilot will offer more Americans access to
research-based cancer care by affiliating with the hospitals and clinics where
most cancer patients already receive care. The pilot will make it easier to
receive high-quality cancer screening, prevention, treatment, and palliative
care services. This is expected to improve treatment outcomes for more
Americans.
Q: Why is NCI expanding its programs
into the community?
A: NCI estimates that 85 percent of
cancer patients in the United States are diagnosed at hospitals in or near the
communities in which they live. The other 15 percent are diagnosed at
NCI-designated Cancer Centers, a network of 63 academic research institutions
located in largely urban areas across the country.
Many patients are not treated at the
major cancer centers because of the distance from their homes, or for other
personal or economic reasons. The NCCCP pilot will extend NCI programs into
local communities, giving patients easier access to clinical research and
advanced care.
Q: What are the goals of the NCCCP
pilot?
A:
1) Expand clinical trials
2) Reduce cancer healthcare disparities.
3) Collect, store, and share blood and tissue samples
needed for research.
4) Explore the
utility of a national database of electronic medical records.
Q: How does the NCCCP pilot compare
to other NCI community cancer initiatives?
A: The NCCCP shares many of the same
goals as other NCI community cancer programs, including increasing access to
clinical trials among underserved populations and reducing health disparities.
The NCCCP is unique in that it will operate in community hospitals in
geographically diverse areas where NCI can learn directly from the communities
it serves.
Q: What are the expected benefits to
patients at the LCRP as well as the Savannah region as a
whole?
A: The sites will provide patients
with comprehensive cancer screening, prevention, treatment, and palliative
care. Patients diagnosed with
cancer will receive medical, surgical, and radiation oncology services and will
have access to NCI-sponsored clinical trials. In addition, NCI-trained patient
navigators will assist patients in arranging financial support, scheduling
transportation services, coordinating records transfers, and facilitating access
to other services.
The pilot is expected to improve
quality of care at the sites by enhancing clinical research expertise. Added benefits of the pilot site include
staff training in cancer management, stronger links to NCI-designated Cancer
Centers, genetic and molecular testing capabilities, and local outreach support
to develop closer ties to underserved members of the Savannah region.
Q: Why was the LCRP and St.
Joseph’s/Candler chosen?
A:Through the coordinated, dedicated
volunteer efforts of physicians and St. Joseph’s/Candler administrators --
particularly Nancy Johnson, administrator of the LCRP -- St. Joseph’s/Candler
has cultivated a strong relationship with the NCI for many years.
Additionally, while the national competition to earn this selection
was considerable, the LCRP demonstrates a competitive advantage with its
commitment to supporting quality cancer care initiatives like:
-
Multidisciplinary
team approach via dedicated Cancer Action Teams
-
Past
collaboration with the Georgia Cancer Coalition
-
Partnership
with the Medical College of Georgia
-
Partnership
with H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute
-
Expertise
in electronic medical records
-
Numerous
community outreach efforts
Q: What are the qualifications of
the pilot sites and how will they be evaluated?
A: The pilot sites are community
hospital-based cancer centers that offer medical, surgical, and radiation
oncology care; manage a patient volume of more than 1,000 new cancer cases each
year; enroll patients in clinical trials; and take part in outreach to
underserved populations. An independent committee will evaluate the pilot sites
on an ongoing basis, and NCI will use recommendations to refine the program and
open the way for a national network of community cancer centers in the
future.
