Fox Chase Cancer Center Recognized for Outstanding Achievement by ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group

Fox Chase Cancer Center was recently recognized by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group for outstanding achievement in accrual, scientific contribution, and administrative participation following an institutional research performance evaluation.

“Being recognized with this honor is truly a testament to the hard work the staff in our Office of Clinical Research put forth every day to facilitate and conduct all types of clinical trials,” said Martin Edelman, MD, Associate Cancer Center Director for Clinical Research Integration, as well as Professor and Chair of the Department of Hematology/Oncology at Fox Chase.

The Office of Clinical Research provides management, research support, and oversight for the conduct of cancer-related clinical trials for the center. Services are provided for all interventional treatment trials conducted within the center, including those at other campuses.

“This commendation from ECOG-ACRIN is an encouraging reminder that our efforts in clinical trial facilitation and development are excelling. We are proud to be recognized with this commendation and look forward to continued success in this area,” said Edelman.

Trials facilitated by the Office of Clinical Research can include those aimed at treatment, prevention, screening, diagnostics, quality of life, genetics studies, behavioral studies, and epidemiology or population-based studies. The office is responsible for institutional treatment trials developed by members of Fox Chase.

The ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group is a multidisciplinary, membership-based scientific organization that designs and conducts cancer research for adults who have or are at risk of developing cancer. It is funded primarily by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. Fox Chase has been a member of ECOG-ACRIN since 1971. Both ECOG-ACRIN and Fox Chase participate in the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network.

ECOG-ACRIN conducts performance evaluations each year to ensure that its members meet rigorous standards to conduct cancer research with and through the group. This includes a formal audit and quality control assessment. Its members include nearly 140 hospital networks and programs, encompassing nearly 1,500 individual cancer centers and hospitals in total. Fox Chase was among 46 programs that received special commendations.

The evaluations are conducted by ECOG-ACRIN senior administrative staff and a subset of the Principal Investigator Committee, which is additionally tasked with setting group policy, approving new members and principal investigators at member institutions, and approving changes to the organization’s constitution when necessary.