Principal Investigator

Rajiv
Panikkar
Awardee Organization

Geisinger Clinic
United States

Fiscal Year
2023
Activity Code
UG1
Early Stage Investigator Grants (ESI)
Not Applicable
Project End Date

Geisinger Cancer Institute - NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP)

The Geisinger Cancer Institute NCI Community Oncology Research Program (Geisinger Cancer Institute NCORP) builds upon a strong foundation of cancer research from our rich experience with National Cancer Institute (NCI) research collaborations. Participation with the NCI NCORP in its mission to create a national integrated research network of cancer prevention, control, screening/post-treatment surveillance, treatment and imaging clinical trials, as well as cancer care delivery research, is supported by our NCORP Community Site through the follow aims. (1) To provide an optimal portfolio of clinical research and cancer care delivery research in Geisinger service areas. With NCORP/NCTN trials as the cornerstone of the portfolio, we will work in partnership with NCORP participants, NCI Oncology Groups and research bases to activate, recruit subjects and complete trial requirements to advance cancer care and patient outcomes. Using processes and practices developed as an established NCORP Community Site and a centralized management and leadership, we will implement clinical trials at the primary affiliate and sub-affiliate sites, which will allow our team of investigators to access, open and increase the accrual of patients to NCTN supported trials. (2) To serve rural and medically underserved patient populations close to home, and as convenient as possible, by providing oncology clinical research through a network of distributed community-based locations in the Geisinger Cancer Institute NCORP. We strive to build trusted relationships with local community programs and leaders whose missions serve a mix of racially, ethnically and culturally diverse populations. (3) To develop a continually improving infrastructure and seamless environment for conducting clinical trials and cancer care delivery research. We draw upon Geisinger's integrated delivery system structure, employed physician network and advanced information technology capabilities to institute practices, systems and policies to enhance our Geisinger Cancer Institute NCORP Community Site and share those successes with NCI leadership and other participating NCORP Community Sites. (4) To leverage Geisinger's organizational expertise and experience in the areas of population health, health information technology, and healthcare value-based re-engineering to contribute towards the rapid advancement of cancer care delivery research at NCORP Research Bases.

Publications

  • Parikh K, Mandrekar SJ, Allen-Ziegler K, Esplin B, Tan AD, Marchello B, Adjei AA, Molina JR. A Phase II Study of Pazopanib in Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: NCCTG N0623 (Alliance). The oncologist. 2020 Jun;25(6):523-531. Epub 2019 Dec 24. PMID: 31872928
  • Halfdanarson TR, Foster NR, Kim GP, Meyers JP, Smyrk TC, McCullough AE, Ames MM, Jaffe JP, Alberts SR. A Phase II Randomized Trial of Panitumumab, Erlotinib, and Gemcitabine Versus Erlotinib and Gemcitabine in Patients with Untreated, Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: North Central Cancer Treatment Group Trial N064B (Alliance). The oncologist. 2019 May;24(5):589-e160. Epub 2019 Jan 24. PMID: 30679315
  • Jaeckle KA, Anderson SK, Twohy EL, Dixon JG, Giannini C, Jenkins R, Egorin MJ, Sarkaria JN, Brown PD, Flynn PJ, Schwerkoske J, Buckner JC, Galanis E. Phase I-II trial of imatinib mesylate (Gleevec; STI571) in treatment of recurrent oligodendroglioma and mixed oligoastrocytoma. North central cancer treatment group study N0272 (ALLIANCE/NCCTG). Journal of neuro-oncology. 2019 Jul;143(3):573-581. Epub 2019 May 22. PMID: 31119479
  • Yoon HH, Ou FS, Soori GS, Shi Q, Wigle DA, Sticca RP, Miller RC, Leenstra JL, Peller PJ, Ginos B, Heying E, Wu TT, Drevyanko TF, Ko S, Mattar BI, Nikcevich DA, Behrens RJ, Khalil MF, Kim GP, Alberts SR. Induction versus no induction chemotherapy before neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery in oesophageal adenocarcinoma: a multicentre randomised phase II trial (NCCTG N0849 [Alliance]). European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990). 2021 Jun;150:214-223. Epub 2021 Apr 29. PMID: 33934058