The Queensland Co-operative Oncology Group (QCOG), established under the auspices of The Cancer Council Queensland, is open to all cancer clinical specialists in Queensland. Its aim is to improve access and outcomes for patients with cancer in Queensland, and specifically:

• To maintain a forum for clinical specialists in cancer to promote cooperative measures to optimise cancer treatment in Queensland.
• To promote access for patients in Queensland to optimal cancer treatment by participation in multicentre clinical trials.
• To facilitate participation of clinicians in multicentre cancer clinical trials by providing data management and administrative support.
• To advise The Cancer Council Queensland on clinical aspects of cancer control, including research, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and supportive care .
• To work with The Cancer Council Queensland to publicly promote rapid access to cancer care facilities of the highest quality.
• To liaise with other state Co-operative Oncology Groups to improve access and outcomes.

If you would like to be included on the QCOG membership database and receive the newsletter plus invitations to meetings please register here.

A number of special interest groups have been established to provide a forum for specialist physicians, surgeons and oncologists to meet and discuss proposals for clinical research and other developments in cancer treatment. Currently special interest groups in Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer and Lung Cancer have been established.

Upcoming meetings:

The next meeting of the Breast Cancer Group will be held on Tuesday April 22, 2008.

QCOG Breast Cancer Group meeting (pdf)

The Cancer Clinical Trial Scheme, established by The Cancer Council Queensland with the support of QCOG, has been providing grants to research institutes and hospitals for the appointment of data managers to participate in the initiation and conduct of cancer clinical trials since 2000.

The aim is to support participation in cancer clinical trials, in particular, prospective, national or international, collaborative multicentre, phase II and III cancer clinical trials that are not initiated or funded by industry.

The funding provided to hospitals by The Cancer Council Queensland is for the sole purpose of paying salaries of clinical trial research nurses and data managers. The role of these staff is to undertake those tasks essential for the day-to-day conduct and management of cancer clinical trials, including patient screening, administrative correspondence, completion of case report forms and source data verification.

Financial support for Data Management Grants is closely linked to demonstrated levels of clinical research activity and productivity by trial investigators and therefore is competitive. The Management Committee of the Queensland Cooperative Oncology Group will determine the criteria of assessment for new grants and continued funding.

Centres who currently receive Data Management Grants from The Cancer Council Queensland include:

• Princess Alexandra Hospital
• Radiation Oncology Services - Mater Centre
• Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
• Toowoomba Hospital
• Royal Children's Hospital
• Townsville Hospital
• Gold Coast Hospital
• Premion
• St Andrew's Hospital
• Prince Charles Hospital
• Holy Spirit Hospital
• Wesley Research Institute

Since the provision of this support by The Cancer Council Queensland for clinical trial data management, there has been a marked increase in the level of clinical trial activity in hospitals that have received funds. In 2000, patient recruitment for the year in eligible trials was reported as 87 patients, a figure that has steadily increased every year with almost 400 new patients recruited into new trials in 2007.

Cancer clinical trials add to the knowledge base of cancer treatment, palliation and prevention. Through the Cancer Clinical Trial Scheme, the Queensland Cooperative Oncology Group and The Cancer Council Queensland are actively supporting cancer research, improving cancer treatments and supporting cancer patients. The Cancer Clinical Trial Scheme plays an important role in increasing the awareness, positive perception and funding of cancer clinical trials in Queensland.

Understanding clinical trials

This booklet has been prepared by members of the Queensland Cooperative Oncology Group to explain what clinical trials are, how they differ from normal treatments and why they are of value. Participation in clinical trials is voluntary and this booklet can help you to decide whether taking part in a clinical trial is the right decision for you. Copies of the booklet can be obtained from the Cancer Helpline.

For further information concerning QCOG, please contact
Heather Day
QCOG Professional Officer
Email: heatherday@cancerqld.org.au
Phone: (07) 3258 2306

The QCOG newsletter is distributed twice a year. Copies of recent issues are available here:

• Issue No. 13 - September 2007 (PDF 567Kb)
• Issue No. 12 - February 2007 (PDF 826Kb)
• Issue No. 11 - May 2006 (PDF 586Kb)
• Issue No. 10 - December 2005 (PDF 744Kb)

If you wish to obtain earlier copies of the QCOG newsletters, please submit a request.