SWOG
Encyclopedia
SWOG is a National Cancer Institute
(NCI) supported organization that conducts clinical trials in adult cancers.
Comprising more than 4,000 cancer researchers at more than 500 institutions across the United States
and Canada
, it is one of the largest of the NCI's clinical trial cooperative groups. Member institutions include 19 of the NCI-designated cancer centers, many university medical centers, private institutions, and Community Clinical Oncology Programs.
SWOG is headquartered at the University of Michigan
in Ann Arbor, with an operations office in San Antonio, Texas
and a statistical center in Seattle, Washington
.
SWOG was created by the NCI in 1956 as the Southwest Cancer Chemotherapy Study Group (SWCCSG) and was headquartered in Houston, Texas
. Its primary purpose was to study leukemia
, a cancer of the blood which primarily affects children. Then in 1958, the NCI directed the SWCCSG to include the study of adult cancers, and separate administrative divisions were created for pediatric and adult cancers. The group's name was eventually changed to Southwest Oncology Group to reflect its new mission. Although in its early decades most SWOG member institutions were located in the Southwestern United States
, the group spread to include members all over the United States
and Canada
. In 2010, in recognition of this national scope, the group dropped the regional qualifier from its name and adopted the acronym, SWOG, as its official name.
(QARC). As mandated by the National Cancer Institute
(NCI), every radiotherapy (RT) department participating in a SWOG study submits their data to QARC for review. QARC is located in Lincoln, Rhode Island
and reviews thousands of RT cases per year. The center was founded in 1977 as a not-for-profit health care organization designed to provide quality assurance for CALGB studies. Radiotherapy data from around one-thousand hospitals in both the United States
and abroad is reviewed and archived at QARC.
Another center for quality assurance is the Radiological Physics Center
(RPC) in Houston, Texas
. The primary responsibility of the RPC is to assure the National Cancer Institute
(NCI) and its cooperative groups like SWOG that all participating institutions are following the basic guidelines regarding the physics-related aspects of radiotherapy. Established in 1968, the RPC has consistently received funding from the NCI in order to perform the aforementioned mission.
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
(NCI) supported organization that conducts clinical trials in adult cancers.
Comprising more than 4,000 cancer researchers at more than 500 institutions across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, it is one of the largest of the NCI's clinical trial cooperative groups. Member institutions include 19 of the NCI-designated cancer centers, many university medical centers, private institutions, and Community Clinical Oncology Programs.
SWOG is headquartered at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in Ann Arbor, with an operations office in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
and a statistical center in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
SWOG was created by the NCI in 1956 as the Southwest Cancer Chemotherapy Study Group (SWCCSG) and was headquartered in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Its primary purpose was to study leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, a cancer of the blood which primarily affects children. Then in 1958, the NCI directed the SWCCSG to include the study of adult cancers, and separate administrative divisions were created for pediatric and adult cancers. The group's name was eventually changed to Southwest Oncology Group to reflect its new mission. Although in its early decades most SWOG member institutions were located in the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
, the group spread to include members all over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In 2010, in recognition of this national scope, the group dropped the regional qualifier from its name and adopted the acronym, SWOG, as its official name.
Quality Assurance
SWOG has all of its protocol-driven cases reviewed at the Quality Assurance Review CenterQuality Assurance Review Center
The Quality Assurance Review Center is a research program within the University of Massachusetts Medical School that provides radiotherapy quality assurance , diagnostic imaging data management, and clinical research support...
(QARC). As mandated by the National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
(NCI), every radiotherapy (RT) department participating in a SWOG study submits their data to QARC for review. QARC is located in Lincoln, Rhode Island
Lincoln, Rhode Island
Lincoln is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 21,105 at the 2010 census. Lincoln is located in northeastern Rhode Island, north of Providence....
and reviews thousands of RT cases per year. The center was founded in 1977 as a not-for-profit health care organization designed to provide quality assurance for CALGB studies. Radiotherapy data from around one-thousand hospitals in both the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and abroad is reviewed and archived at QARC.
Another center for quality assurance is the Radiological Physics Center
Radiological Physics Center
-Mission statement:The mission of the Radiological Physics Center is to assure NCI and the Cooperative Groups that institutions participating in clinical trials deliver prescribed radiation doses that are clinically comparable and consistent....
(RPC) in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. The primary responsibility of the RPC is to assure the National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
(NCI) and its cooperative groups like SWOG that all participating institutions are following the basic guidelines regarding the physics-related aspects of radiotherapy. Established in 1968, the RPC has consistently received funding from the NCI in order to perform the aforementioned mission.