Cancer Research Consortium of West Michigan (CRCWM)

The Cancer Research Consortium of West Michigan (CRCWM) is an NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) comprised of nine major health systems, a renowned basic science institute, and a medical school. CRCWM covers the west half of Michigan and cares for almost 14,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients and their families per year. Formed from two experienced Community Clinical Oncology Programs (CCOPs) in 2014, CRCWM has a 40+ year history of bringing clinical trials to the community and is a major accruer to NCI studies. With over 100 oncology physician investigators and a well-established administrative staff, CRCWM has the ability to enroll patients with cancer diagnoses across the continuum and to address NCI goals of expanding participation of racial/ethnic minorities and underserved in clinical trials. This application reiterates our commitment to high-quality research and ongoing alignment with NCI initiatives. We are well-positioned to achieve our specific aims for the next NCORP grant cycle which are: 1. To maximize accrual of patients to cancer clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute including priority studies for cancer control/prevention, molecular/precision medicine, and imaging. 2. To be strong contributors to Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR). 3. To maximize the sharing of NCI scientific findings into clinical care through education and engagement of clinical partners and health systems. 4. To address health care disparities experienced by underserved (e.g., rural, adolescent/young adult, elderly, minority and underinsured) populations within our communities. 5. To optimize our contribution to the national scientific research agenda by expanding our leadership and committee participation in the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN)/NCORP research bases and the mentoring of young investigators.