Through this program, community physicians work with scientists conducting NCI-supported clinical trials.
Clinical trials are research studies conducted with patients or with healthy people.
They are designed to answer specific questions about the effectiveness of new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat cancer. Participation in the CCOP benefits patients and physicians in the community and scientists in research centers. The program helps in the transfer of the latest research findings to the community level. The CCOP increases the number of patients and physicians who can participate in clinical trials operated at major research centers and allows scientists to conduct large-scale cancer prevention and control studies. Facilities participating in the CCOP are required to affiliate with at least one research base.