NRG Oncology Research Opportunities Within the New National Clinical Trials Network

Abstract

NRG Oncology is a newly constituted National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) group created through the coordinated efforts of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), and the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG). These three legacy cancer cooperative groups have over 150 years of cumulative experience in the conduct of practice-defining, multi-institutional phase II and phase III trials supported primarily by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). As a response to the reconstitution of the NCI-supported cooperative cancer groups, the NSABP, RTOG, and GOG elected to join forces to create a new NCTN group now known as NRG Oncology (acronym NRG derived from names of parental groups). NRG leverages the unique capabilities and experiences of all three legacy groups as a foundation for innovative late-stage clinical and translational research across seven major cancer disease sites, including rare and under-studied cancers. Specifically, NRG will create a synergy greater than the sum of the three legacy groups to improve lives of adult cancer patients burdened with localized or locally advanced disease through the conduct of practice-defining clinical trials. Discussions regarding a partnership among the three groups began first between NSABP and RTOG in 2010, with the GOG joining the discussions in the summer of 2011. The central vision held by the three groups was to create NRG as an NCTN-supported organization focused on research into seven distinct cancer disease sites: Adult Brain Tumors (Primary and Secondary); Head and Neck Cancer; Localized and Locally Advanced Lung Cancer (Both Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and Small Cell Lung Cancer [SCLC]); Breast Cancer (Focused on Localized and Locally Advanced Disease) Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer (Including Colorectal and Non-Colorectal Cancers); Genitourinary (GU) Cancer (Emphasizing Non-Metastatic Prostate and Bladder Cancers); Gynecologic Cancer (Including Ovarian, Cervix, and Endometrial Cancers) It is anticipated that the emphasis on these seven disease sites will be complementary to the research missions and clinical trial portfolios of the other NCTN groups, particularly given NRG’s unique multidisciplinary strengths in gender-specific cancers, aerodigestive malignancies, and brain tumors. In addition, the group’s mission involves a focus on patients with localized and locally advanced malignancies, an emphasis that is highly relevant to all seven of NRG’s cancer disease sites. The NRG scientific and administrative core committees, its non–disease site scientific committees, and the efforts of the NRG Operations Center focus on enabling its cancer disease site committees to succeed in asking and answering key clinical and translational research questions that define new diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms for both common and rare malignancies within these disease sites. In addition, NRG plans to selectively expand the outstanding portfolio of phase I and II trials conducted for women with gynecologic malignancies by GOG and for brain tumor patients by RTOG into the other five disease site committees in developing and testing novel therapies. There are four strategic domains which are essential to NRG Oncology’s research plan.