I received this from the National Institute of Health.
Regards
Joe
Input Wanted to Improve Cancer Clinical Trials System
Earlier this year, NCI Director Andrew von Eschenbach established the Clinical Trials Working Group (CTWG), a broadly constituted panel with researchers from academia and industry, advocates, and patients, to advise the Institute on issues concerning NCI-supported cancer clinical trials.
We believe the best way to optimize the cancer clinical trial system is to modify our existing system in a variety of ways to remove the barriers to participation and scientific advancement. We can't do that, however, until you--people who conduct clinical trials, cancer patients and family members, referring physicians, and all other people and organizations whose participation is necessary--help us identify those parts of the system that prevent your optimal participation.
The CTWG has developed an interactive web site to solicit input from various public stakeholders in the cancer clinical trials system, including you. Please go to the web site--http://ncicbforums.nci.nih.gov/ictQuestions/login_form--and provide us with your insights today. The website will ask you to log in by choosing from a menu a description that best identifies the group you represent. All responses will be confidential. In addition, you will be required to enter the following password--CTWGstakeholder--prior to providing us with your thoughts. (The password is also given on the log-in page.)
The web site addresses the following areas:
Standardization of clinical trial procedures and infrastructure
Coordination of clinical trials across Cancer Centers, SPORES, PO1s, and Cooperative Groups
Enhancing interactions between the clinical research community, NCI, the pharmaceutical industry, FDA, regulatory agencies, and patient advocates
Developing core facilities to improve scientific support for trials
Improving clinical trial accrual management
Refining the protocol prioritization process
Please go to the CTWG Web site TODAY, so we can learn your perspective on these critical issues. Encourage others to provide us with input, too, by forwarding our web site address and password. The website will be closed for feedback on January 15, 2005.
Thank you,
James H. Doroshow, M.D.
Chair, CTWG
Director, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis
National Cancer Institute
Bldg. 31; Room 3A44
31 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
ncicbwebmaster@mail.nih.gov
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