PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN) Oncology Research Program (ORP) recently announced grants awarded to foster and enhance quality-of-care, guideline concordance, and innovations in care delivery for patients with limited-stage (LS) and extensive-stage (ES) small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The NCCN ORP will oversee the projects; funding will be provided through support from AstraZeneca.
There are more than 30,000 new incidences of SCLC per year in the United States. Many patients with SCLC experience significant symptoms that require urgent assessment and intervention. The aim of these projects is to develop innovative approaches to reduce any gaps in multi-disciplinary care and improve outcomes for both LS- and ES-SCLC patients.
“A significant number of patients with small cell lung cancer do not receive therapy consistent with established clinical practice guidelines in both the limited and extensive stage settings. We can improve access to, and receipt of, effective care in this patient population, including enhanced use of both anti-cancer therapies and supportive care,” explained Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, FACP, Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer, NCCN. “Congratulations to these inspiring investigators. We hope their work results in improvements for the management and care of people with SCLC.”
The selected projects are:
- Asrar AlAhmadi, MD, The >Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
- The Impact of Area Deprivation Index on Clinical Outcomes of Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Afshin Dowlati, MD, and Melinda Hsu, MD, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute
- An Innovative Team Approach to Standardize SCLC Care Delivery Across an Integrated Health Care System
- Salene M.W. Jones, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Provider and Intervention Barriers to Multidisciplinary, Guideline Concordant Care in Small Cell Lung Cancer
“AstraZeneca is committed to improving outcomes for small cell lung cancer patients across all stages of the disease,” said Nabil Chehab, PhD, U.S. Head of Medical, Lung Cancer at AstraZeneca. “Our hope is this collaboration will lead us one step closer to better understanding real world challenges to the equitable delivery of care in SCLC to ensure that no patient with SCLC is left behind.”
Proposals were peer reviewed by a Scientific Review Committee, which consisted of leading expert oncologists from NCCN Member Institutions. The selected projects are set to be completed within two years. Approximately $750,000 in funding will be provided across all grants.
For more information, visit NCCN.org/orp.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News.