PHILADELPHIA, PA:The fourth
annual Summit on Clinical Trials will be held October 4, 5, and 6, 2000 at the
Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City, in Arlington, Virginia. Organized by the Coalition
of National Cancer Cooperative Groups, Inc., the Cancer Leadership Council, the
Cancer Research Foundation of America, and the Oncology Nursing Society, the
theme of this year's summit is "Improving Communication and Public Awareness."
Summit IV is an opportunity for representatives of all groups involved in
cancer care, research, and management to come together with communications
experts to present and share perspectives and concerns.
The three-day program features presentations and discussion focusing on:
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Attitudes Toward Clinical Trials (identified through recent surveys including a
Harris Interactive Poll);
Communication Barriers to Clinical Trial Participation by patients and
physicians;
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Communication Models of Success and Key Messages.
The presentations will be followed by breakout
sessions and brainstorming that will become the basis for a communications plan
for national implementation. Guest presenters* include many well-known leaders
in the areas of oncology, patient advocacy, business, and communications.
"The Summit Series has been a driving force of the
activities of the Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups," said Robert
L. Comis, MD, President. "As a result of the Summit Series, the discussion
surrounding the recognition and use of clinical trials as part of a highquality
cancer management program has become an issue among physicians, insurance
companies, and legislators.
Through the Harris Poll we are beginning to
understand patients', physicians', and the general public's attitudes toward
clinical trials. One of our priorities is to include patient representatives in
all facets of discussion concerning the clinical trials process."
The Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative
Groups is an organization dedicated to improving the survival and quality of
life of cancer patients by increasing participation in clinical trials. The
Coalition works to improve access to clinical trials; to develop and manage new
trials; to improve health and economic outcomes; and to be involved
internationally in the field of cancer research. Members of the Coalition
include cooperative groups, patient advocate organizations, and cancer research
and treatment centers.
*Guest presenters include: Lucille Adams-Campbell,
Director, Howard University Cancer Center; Charles M. Balch, MD, Executive Vice
President and CEO, American Society of Clinical Oncology; Diana Rowden,
Immediate Past Chairman of the Board, Susan G. Komen Foundation; Ellen Coleman,
Associate Executive Director, Cancer Care, Inc.; Deborah E. Collyar, President,
Patient Advocates in Research; Robert L. Comis, MD, President and Chairman,
Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups, Inc.; Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD,
PhD, Department of Clinical Bioethics, NIH; Dean H. Gesme, Jr., MD, Oncology
Associates of Cedar Rapids; Bernard Glassman, Special Expert Informatics, NCI;
Maria Carolina Hinestrosa, Program Director, Nueva Vida; Elmer E. Huerta, MD,
MPH, Director, Cancer Risk Assessment and Screening Center, Washington Cancer
Institute; Michael S. Katz, Vice President, International Myeloma Foundation;
Allan Korn, MD, Senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs and Chief Medical
Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association; Kristin Ludwig, Director of
Communications, American Society of Clinical Oncology; Johnathan Miller, PhD,
Northwestern School of Medicine; Robert Mittman, Director, Institute for the
Future; Kathy Mooney, RN, PhD, Professor, University of Utah School of Nursing;
Sharon Murphy, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Medical
School; Bill Novelli, Porter-Novelli, AARP Campaign; Larry Norton, MD, Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Mike O'Connell, MD, Professor of Oncology, Mayo
Clinic; Carolyn Runowicz, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Richard L.
Schilsky, MD, Associate Dean, University of Chicago; Selma Schimmel, Vital
OptionsĀ®; Ellen Stovall, President and CEO, National Coalition for Cancer
Survivors; Sharyn Sutton, CEO, Sutton Social Marketing; James L. Wade, III, MD,
Cancer Care Specialists of Central Illinois; Lisa M. Wyatt, Vice President,
Advertising and Marketing, MedStar Health; David Zucker, Senior Vice President,
Porter Novelli.