Newswise — PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [May 31, 2019] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) Oncology Research Program (ORP) and AstraZeneca, a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company, are collaborating to seek proposals for improving care processes for patients with unresectable stage III and stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Researchers from NCCN’s 28 Member Institutions are invited to apply by submitting a letter of intent by July 9, 2019.

“Non-small cell lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and the second-most-common cancer diagnosis in both men and women,” said Wui-Jin Koh, MD, Chief Medical Officer, NCCN. “As part of our mission to advance high quality, patient-centric care, we’re eager to facilitate projects that will improve the delivery of cancer care for advanced-stage lung cancer patients. We look forward to working with investigators to explore better ways to deliver the best treatment at the optimal time.”

All funded proposals must:

  • Promote evidence-based care
  • Be sustainable after the award funding is complete
  • Collect data and report outcomes
  • Aim to enhance clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, or provider satisfaction
  • Address patient variability
  • Promote administrative and system efficiency

Special consideration will be given to projects that incorporate patient-reported outcomes, are adaptable, use innovative technology, and can be implemented across a variety of oncology practice settings. Results should be meaningful for both patients and payers.

A total of three to five projects are expected to be chosen for funding, each for a period of two years.

The NCCN ORP—which fosters innovation and knowledge discovery to improve the lives of patients with cancer—will oversee application review and evaluation, and provide general research oversight. A scientific review committee led by NCCN will determine which proposals will receive funding.

For more information and to read the entire Request for Proposals, visit NCCN.org/ORP.

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About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is a not-for-profit alliance of 28 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, efficient, and accessible cancer care so patients can live better lives. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. By defining and advancing high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers around the world.

The NCCN Member Institutions are: Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH; City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, and Rochester, MN; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, Birmingham, AL; Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO; University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT.

Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.org/patients. Media, visit NCCN.org/news. Follow NCCN on Twitter @NCCN, Facebook @NCCNorg, and Instagram @NCCNorg.