USING A COMMUNITY CANCER-TREATMENT TRIALS NETWORK FOR CANCER PREVENTION AND CONTROL RESEARCH - CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Using data collected as part of a larger evaluation of the National Ca ncer Institute-funded Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP), this paper examines the degree to which selected community, interorganizat ional, and structural characteristics associated with accural to cance r treatment protocols share equal importance in accruing patients to c ancer prevention and control research protocols. Analysis reveals that there are similarities in the factors that prove to be effective for accrual to both types of protocols; however, the two are not isomorphi c. CCOP structure was an important predictor of treatment accrual but was not significant for cancer control accrual. Variables measuring th e community health resources available to the CCOP were not significan t for either treatment or cancer prevention and control research accru al when CCOP structure and interaction with participating research bas es were considered. Only CCOP interaction with participating research bases was a significant predictor of both treatment and cancer prevent ion and control research accrual. The policy implications of these fin dings are discussed.