US Oncology teams with RTOG to boost trial enrollment

US Oncology teams with RTOG to boost trial enrollment

The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and US Oncology have entered into a collaboration to increase patient access to national cancer clinical trials.

The collaboration marks the fi rst time US Oncology, with 109 research sites, has participated in cooperative group trials in radiation oncology, according to the Houston-based company. US Oncology is the fi rst multi-state, national organization to become an affiliate member of RTOG.

Affi liated practices include Texas Oncology practices in Sugar Land, Kansas City Cancer Centers, Willamette Valley Cancer Center in Oregon, Arizona Oncology Associates-Tucson in Tucson, and New York Oncology Hematology in Albany. Patients receiving cancer care at practices affi liated with US Oncology will have access to many RTOG trials.

UC Davis opens network of community ca centers

The University of California Davis Can `cer Center has joined forces with facilities in northern and central California to form the UC Davis Cancer Care Network. The network unites fi ve hospital-based cancer centers in a number of cities including Sacramento, Merced, and Truckee.

Scott Christensen, MD, an associate professor of hematology and oncology, will serve as the network’s medical director. This is the fi rst specialty-care network for UC Davis, which began initiating partnerships in 2000. Talks with others cancer centers are ongoing.

Dune Medical starts trial for margin detection system

A clinical trial of MarginProbe is underway, sponsored by the Dune Medical Devices.

MarginProbe is an intraoperative, real-time, tumor margin detection system that uses radiofrequency spectroscopy. More than 600 women will be enrolled in the trial, conducted at a dozen centers in the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, and Baltimore.