Oncology Research Program Testimonials

“There is a growing crisis facing institutions that conduct clinical trials particularly in the area of investigator initiated translational research projects. Trials are increasing in complexity because there is the need to link efficacy data and biologic correlates. Unfortunately, as treatment opportunities and technology advances expand, adequate funding resources are diminishing most notably funding from the government. It is more important than ever that we partner with others, including industry, if we are going to embrace these treatment and technology innovations and integrate such in clinical trial design. A recent NCCN peer-reviewed grant to support an esophagus project at Northwestern University is an example of an alternative funding source that made this project possible.”
Al B. Benson, III, MD
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University

“The Oncology Research Program at the NCCN provides an opportunity for investigators to contribute to outstanding clinical research. The program supports exciting and novel research that will lay the groundwork for the understanding of cancer and help to define the best route to approach treatment in this age of targeted therapies.”
Mark Morrison, MD, PhD
Pfizer, Inc.

“The pool of potential applicants for the NCCN ORP includes some of the most experienced cancer researchers in the country. NCCN investigators work at institutions that have an established track record in clinical trials and have the patient volume that's necessary to complete studies. It's not surprising that the quality of the applications has been very high.”
Deborah Armstrong, MD
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

“The grant obtained through the NCCN allowed me to develop and fund original research in the management of patients with advanced cervical carcinoma.  The integration of novel chemotherapeutic agents to our standard treatments is an area of investigation that continues to show promising results.  Through continuing collaboration and support of scientific investigators, the NCCN provides opportunities of growth and development of innovative cancer research.”
Pedro T. Ramirez, MD
The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

“The Oncology Research Program of the NCCN was a vital component of furthering my research in renal carcinoma. Through their generous support, completion of a translational phase II clinical trial was possible. This trial has provided important clinical insights and has generated hypothesis relevant to the biology and treatment of kidney cancer which will be tested in future investigations.”
Brian Rini, MD
Cleveland Clinic Foundation formerly on the faculty at UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

“Working with NCCN was a wonderful experience. It not only gave me a chance to serve on the advisory panel and share the leading minds but also I found it be the “MOST EFFICIENT AND LEAST TIME CONSUMING” way to achieve a grant and perform a study. If I get a chance, I will love to work with them again.”
M. Wasif Saif, MD, MBBS
Yale University School of Medicine formerly on the faculty at University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center

“As a scientific advisor on the Angiogenesis Panel, sponsored by the NCCN/Pfizer, I found the NCCN organization to be an effective way to bring together national experts to develop, implement and review clinical trials of new agents. The meetings were well-planned, robust, focused, and balanced - an important vehicle to translated discoveries from the laboratory to the bedside.”
Steven Brem, MD
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

"Proposals from NCCN institutions are critically reviewed. As a participant in this review process, I was impressed with the quality of the applications."
Neal J. Meropol, MD
Fox Chase Cancer Center

“Through its educational research grants program, the NCCN has advanced the study of potential predictors of resistance to topoisomerase I inhibitors in metastatic breast cancer. Such support is crucial in advancing our understanding of the mechanisms of tumor cell resistance in order to tailor therapy and design novel agents that augment response to standard treatment. Thanks for the NCCN’s support.”
Stacy Moulder, MD
The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

"We were so excited to have an opportunity to conduct the Phase II study of Celecoxib in patients with iodine-refractory metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma, the first study of its kind completed in the last three decades.  Sponsorship from the NCCN for our study was extremely valuable, as it made it possible to conduct such a worthwhile study in patients with uncommon cancers.  Experience gained from this study has paved the road for a series of several Phase II thyroid cancer clinical trials at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center."
Manisha Shah, MD
Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital & Richard J. Solove Research Institute at The Ohio State University