AstraZeneca, NCCN collaborate to improve outcomes in Ovarian Cancer

New Delhi: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Oncology Research Program (ORP) is collaborating with AstraZeneca, a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company, to further quality in cancer care for people with advanced ovarian cancer.

This follows a recently announced and still active request for proposals, also in collaboration with AstraZeneca, on innovative approaches for improving care in unresectable stage III and IV non-small cell lung cancer. Letters of intent are due Monday, July 22, 2019, for this new opportunity, which is available to researchers at any of the 28 NCCN Member Institutions.

Explained about the same, Wui-Jin Koh, MD, Chief Medical Officer, NCCN said, "Advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer remains a treatment challenge."

"It's currently the deadliest gynecologic cancer and requires a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach. With this project, we're looking for research that focuses on how to optimize multiple facets of management effectiveness by harnessing innovative technologies or addressing knowledge gaps, " Koh added.

Some areas of particular interest for proposals include:

• Adhering to the standard of care management


• Delivering care through innovative methods (e.g. telemedicine and/or coordination of care between academic centres and community practices)


• Improving adoption of appropriate genetic testing


• Discovering new strategies for sharing and implementing novel findings expeditiously


• Creating shared decision-making models


• Improving the use of supportive services


• Utilizing technology to enhance the quality of life in patients

Proposals that are reproducible, scalable, rapidly implementable, and provide quantifiable outcome measures are preferred. NCCN ORP is also interested in discovering concepts to reduce financial toxicity, manage care across multiple facilities, increase clinical trial enrollment, and enhance shared decision-making and patient information.

The NCCN ORP fosters innovation and knowledge discovery that improve the lives of patients with cancer. Collaboration between NCCN Member Institutions is strongly encouraged in order to cultivate interactive sharing of knowledge and expertise and to utilize the combined strengths of members.

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