Promoting Lead Academic Participating Sites (LAPS) Studies Accrual and Lung cancer Screening in Oklahoma

University Of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr, Oklahoma City OK

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract/Summary Lung cancer mortality in Oklahoma is higher than the national average with age adjusted rate of 46.5 compared to 35 per 100,000 population. I am a thoracic medical oncologist with high interest in clinical and translational research. I joined Stephenson Cancer Center of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2014 with the goal of improving lung cancer care in the state. In 2015, I joined the lung committee of SWOG Cancer Research Network, and I have been an active member of that group since then. I regularly participate in monthly virtual meetings and bi-annual in-person meetings of that group to explore and evaluate new ideas to improve care of lung cancer patients. I worked with my colleagues in that committee to develop a study to improve the care of stage 2 and 3 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with borderline performance status. That study, SWOG 1933, is currently open to enrollment and I am the national PI on it. I also, proposed a research concept to study perioperative versus adjuvant chemo-immunotherapy in early-stage NSCLC and we submitted that study through SWOG. I worked with my colleagues in the Alliance Cancer Research Network, and we jointly received the first Clinical Trial Innovation Unit (CTIU) grant to run that study as CITU 2317. That study would likely define the new standard of care in early-stage NSCLC. I joined the NRG Oncology Research Network in 2019, and I have been an active member of the lung core committee of that group since then and I regularly attend their meetings. I am also the medical director of the clinical trial office in our institution and a local PI on phase one and later phase thoracic oncology studies. The R50 Research Specialist Award will allow me to continue to be an active member of the NCI cooperative groups, to develop innovative clinical trials to improve lung cancer care in Oklahoma and mentor junior faculty and fellows in our institution in the field of clinical and translational research.