An outcome study of the RTOG Cancer Control program

The Cancer Control program, funded by the National Cancer Institute, was initiated with the goal of involving community hospitals in multi-institutional clinical trials. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) began participating in this program in 1976. This investigation compares the survival of patients treated by protocol in RTOG Full Member versus Cancer Control institutions between 1976 and 1985. The RTOG has 28 Full Members which are major treatment centers and enter at least 50 patients on RTOG protocols each year. The 11 Cancer Control members, which are mostly community hospitals, must enter at least 12 patients on RTOG protocols each year. A comparison of survival between Full Members and Cancer Control members was made for five RTOG studies. No difference in data quality or protocol compliance was observed for these studies between Cancer Control and Full Member institutions. Overall survival comparisons, as well as comparisons adjusted for prognostic factors, were made for each of the five studies. No differences in survival between Cancer Control and Full Members were observed in either analysis.