[The role of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group]

The Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG), a cooperative oncology group funded by the government of Japan, was founded in 1989. Over the past decade, the quality of clinical trials in Japan has improved greatly. The purpose of the JCOG is to establish and to improve the standard treatment of cancer by carrying out large, prospective, randomized, multicenter, clinical trials. The organizations to conduct clinical trials, such as a data center, clinical trial review committee, and monitoring committee, have been developed. One of the most important roles of the JCOG is the establishment and development of the necessary infrastructure. The JCOG is the largest cooperative oncology group in Japan and is conducting clinical trials to establish new "state of the art" treatment. However, the expansion of the data center and positioning of research nurses in each institute are essential for further development of the JCOG and clinical trials in Japan.