NCCCP- Clinical Trials –

One of Six Components of NCCCP at The Lacks Cancer Center

The NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) was launched in 2007 to examine a concept that would expand the capacity and accessibility of clinical trials and prevention, treatment and follow-up care to more community-based locations.

The Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary’s was selected for the program in April 2010 as one of 14 new sites selected by the NCI to offer expanded research and state-of-the-art cancer care. The NCCCP is using $40 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to expand its former number of 16 sites to 30 sites.

Local access to national clinical trials is a definite advantage of being an NCCCP program, thanks to its national database. Earlier phase clinical trials will also be made available through this database and data-sharing.

"The opening of Saint Mary’s Phase One Clinical Trial Unit will help support these earlier phase trials,” said Thomas Gribbin, MD, pillar lead. “Through their database, we will have increased information at our fingertips especially for patients who have rare cancers.”

You may have noticed the construction on the first level of the Jefferson Building, to get us ready for the Clinical Trial Unit!

The issue of enrolling patients who have a disparate rate of participation in studies will also be addressed. Gribbin described the process: “We will be hiring community navigators who will work with patients to increase cancer screening among populations with lower rates of screening, and in turn, getting more of them enrolled in our clinical trials.”

Some clinical trials will be conducted through GRCOP, which is nationally recognized as one of the best consortia of hospitals in the nation for its outstanding patient participation rates. GRCOP is composed of seven area hospitals, including Saint Mary’s Health Care, and also the Van Andel Research Institute.