January 12, 2024
In observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday on Monday, January 15, Alliance/AFT/Alliance Foundation offices in Boston, Chicago, and Duke will be closed. McKesson's Clinical Research Services will also be closed. However, some Alliance Biorepositories will be open. For specific details, see the BioMS Holiday Shipping Schedule or contact the Clinical Research Services team at 800-693-4903 or
January 11, 2024
Clinical trial investigates how many months of immunotherapy are necessary to treat early-stage breast cancer
January 4, 2024
Alliance A022106: Phase II/III second-line NABPLAGEM vs. nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine in BRCA1/2 or PALB2 mutant metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PLATINUM)
Overview: Alliance investigator Andrew H. Ko, MD, of UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, leads this phase II/III trial that compares the effect of the combination of nab-paclitaxel plus cisplatin and gemcitabine versus
December 18, 2023
Dear Alliance Researchers and Colleagues, Please accept my deepest appreciation for everything you do everyday to change patients’ lives and create the medicine of the future.
I am truly inspired by our unique potential in Alliance: the engagement of our communities and diverse patient populations across the spectrum of clinical cancer research from prevention to treatment and cures; our track record in innovation and pract
October 26, 2023
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will convene the 2023 Alliance Fall Hybrid Group Meeting November 1-4. Newly elected Group Chair Dr. Evanthia Galanis will welcome distinguished oncology researchers, clinical trial specialists, and administrators from across the country to the four-day meeting that will take p
October 22, 2023
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology today announced detailed results will be presented at ESMO 2023 from CABINET (A021602), a phase III pivotal trial evaluating cabozantinib compared with placebo in two cohorts of patients with previously treated neuroendocrine tumors: one cohort of patients with advanced pancreatic ne
October 5, 2023
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology today announced that the Alliance Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) determined that the phase III AMBASSADOR (A031501) trial met one of its dual primary endpoints of disease-free survival (DFS) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with localized muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC) and locally advanced urothelial carcinoma
September 18, 2023
Alliance A092105: Randomized phase 2 study of nivolumab and ipilimumab with or without cabozantinib in patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma that have progressed after platinum treatment and immunotherapy
Overview: Alliance investigator Glenn J. Hanna, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, leads this phase II trial that tests how well nivolumab and ipilimumab immunotherapy with or without cabozan
September 8, 2023
The phase III Alliance trial CALGB 90203 evaluated neoadjuvant chemohormonal therapy for high-risk localized prostate cancer before radical prostatectomy. In the Journal of the National Cancer Institute article, researchers share where they further dissected the molecular features of post-treated prostate cancer along with long-term clinical outcomes to explore mechanisms of response and resistance to che
Alliance A052101: A randomized phase 3 trial of continuous vs. intermittent maintenance therapy with zanubrutinib as upfront treatment in older patients with mantle cell lymphoma
Overview: Alliance investigator Anne Beaven, MD, of University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, leads this phase III trial that tests whether continuous or intermittent zanubrutinib after achieving a complete remission (CR) with rituxi
September 6, 2023
Results from the value survey conducted by the Alliance Value in Cancer Care (ViCC) subcommitee of the Alliance Cancer Care Delivery Research Committee have been released and published online in JCO Oncology Practice. The Alliance ViCC survey looks at how stakeholders prioritize the importance of oncologic outcomes, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and cancer-related health care costs. Read about the results
August 24, 2023
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology today announced that an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) determined that the phase III CABINET (A021602) pivotal trial met its primary endpoint at an interim analysis in both of the trial’s cohorts, demonstrating statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in progression-free survival (PFS). C
August 23, 2023
Testing healthcare delivery interventions in rigorous clinical trials is a critical step in improving patient care, but conducting multisite randomized clinical trials to test the effect of care delivery interventions has unique challenges and requires foresight and planning. Alliance researchers share their experiences and insight in a research article in the Clinical Tri
August 11, 2023
EAY191-A6: A ComboMATCH Treatment Trial: FOLFOX in Combination With Binimetinib as 2nd Line Therapy for Patients With Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers With MAPK Pathway Alterations
Overview: Alliance investigator Ardaman S. Shergill, MD, of the University of Chicago Medicine, leads this phase II ComboMATCH treatment trial that compares the usual treat
July 25, 2023
The Alliance Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointments of Jonathan E. Rosenberg, MD and Matthew Galsky, MD as Co-Chairs of the Alliance Genitourinary Committee effective August 1, 2023.
Dr. Rosenberg is the Enno W. Ercklentz, Jr. Chair and Chief of the Genitourinary Oncology Service in the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and a Professor of Medicine at Weil
July 17, 2023
Papillary craniopharyngiomas (PCPs) are a rare type of brain tumor that cause substantial morbidity for patients. While surgery and radiation are often used to treat PCPs, incomplete removal of the tumor and toxicity from radiation can leave patients with life-long health challenges after treatment, including neuroendocrine dysfunction or vision or memory loss.
Investigators from the Alliance N
June 23, 2023
A. William Blackstock Jr., MD, FASCO, a national expert in the radiotherapeutic management of cancers, died June 18 due to complications from prostate cancer; he was 60. He spent his career dedicated to improving the lives of people with cancer in his home state of North Carolina.
“William was well known to many of our longstanding Alliance members,” said James J. Urbanic, MD, Professor and Vice Chair of
June 16, 2023
Alliance A222101: An early phase and phase II clinical trial to evaluate ganglioside-monosialic acid (GM1) for preventing paclitaxel-associated neuropathy
Led by Elizabeth Cathcart-Rake, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, this phase II trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) and whether it works in reducing or preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuro
June 5, 2023
Patients with locally advanced rectal cancer with tumors that respond to chemotherapy can safely forego radiation therapy before surgery based on the findings of the phase III Alliance PROSPECT (N1048) trial presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine (effi
May 25, 2023
The 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will convene June 2-6, bringing together thousands of oncology professionals from around the world in person. This year's meeting theme is "Partnering with Patients: The Cornerstone of Cancer Care and Research." Studies spanning the spectrum of cancer prevention and care, from immunotherapy and precision medicine to
May 10, 2023
Alliance A012103: OptimICE-pCR: De-escalation of therapy in early-stage TNBC patients who achieve pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with checkpoint inhibitor therapy
Overview: Sara Tolaney, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, leads this phase III trial that compares the effect of pembrolizumab to observation for the treatment of patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer who achieved a patholo
May 5, 2023
The Alliance Board of Directors has elected Evanthia Galanis, MD, as Group Chair-Elect of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology at the 2023 Alliance Spring Virtual Group Meeting on May 5. Dr. Galanis will take office in November 2023 and will serve a six-year term.
“I’m honored to be elected to serve as Group Chair of the Alliance,” Dr. Galanis said. “I am excited to lead an organiza
May 4, 2023
For patients with breast cancer who would like to have a baby, there is good news. A new study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine found that for young women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, pausing endocrine therapy to pursue a pregnancy did not raise the short-term risk that the disease will recur. In addition, nearly 75% of the participants in th
April 27, 2023
Congratulations to the University of Kansas Cancer Center – Masonic Cancer Alliance Minority Underserved Rural NCORP (KUCC-MCA) for the 2023 Alliance Spring Virtual Group Meeting Book cover design. Led by Priyanka Sharma, MD, and Gary Doolittle, MD, the KUCC-MCA NCORP aims to expand the reach of cancer clinical trials to rural communities
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology has recently opened three new trials that look at rare tumors, leukemia, and lung cancer. Take a closer look.
A randomized phase 2 trial with a safety lead-in to evaluate palbociclib versus palbociclib and cemiplimab for the treatment of advanced dedifferentiated liposarcoma (Alliance A092107)
Matthew Ingh
February 27, 2023
Alliance A042001: Randomized phase II CD22+ B-cell ALL (ino + mini-hyper-CVD vs. dose adjusted hyper-CVAD) for patients over age 50
Marlise Luskin, MD, MSCE , of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, leads Alliance A042001 - a phase II trial that compares the combination of inotuzumab ozogamicin and chemotherapy to the usual chemotherapy in treating patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia or B-cell
The Alliance extends its deepest appreciation and gratitude to Michael J. Morris, MD (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) as he steps down as Chair of the Alliance Genitourinary Committee. Over the past 10 years, Dr. Morris has guided the Alliance GU Committee with his endless, dedicated service and mentorship. The field of GU oncology has expanded dramatically in recent years, and Alliance researchers
February 13, 2023
The Alliance Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Isabelle Bedrosian, MD, to the position of Director of the Alliance Program for Procedure-Based Therapy. Dr. Bedrosian is the Medical Director of the Nellie B. Connally Breast Center and Professor of Breast Surgical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Bedrosian has a long history of success
May 4, 2022
Dear Alliance Colleagues and Friends,
I am so sad to inform you that Jeff A. Sloan, PhD, passed away this week. He had been in ill health due to cancer for quite some time and passed away peacefully on May 1st with his family at his side. At the time of his death, Jeff was Professor of Biostatistics and Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, a position that he held since 1995. Jeff was trained as a mathematical statistician,
January 12, 2023
Alliance A022102: A randomized phase III trial of mFOLFIRINOX +/- nivolumab vs. FOLFOX +/- nivolumab for first-line treatment of metastatic HER2-negative gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma
Haeseong Park, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, leads Alliance A022102 – a phase III trial that compares the effect of modified fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan (mFOLFIRINOX) to mo
January 11, 2023
Alliance A022101: A pragmatic randomized phase III trial evaluating total ablative therapy for patients with limited metastatic colorectal cancer: evaluating radiation, ablation, and surgery (ERASur)
Eric D. Miller, MD, PhD, of Ohio State University Medical Center, leads Alliance A022101 (ERASur) – a phase III trial that compares total ablative therapy and usual systemic therapy to usual
December 15, 2022
Alliance A092104: A randomized phase 2/3 study of olaparib plus temozolomide versus investigator’s choice for the treatment of patients with advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma after progression on prior chemotherapy
Overview: This phase II/III trial compares the effect of the combination of olaparib and temozolomide to the usual treatment (trabectedin and pazopanib) for uterine leiomyosarcoma that has spread t
December 13, 2022
May the holiday spirit be with you and your family throughout the New Year. Have a safe and happy holiday season.
In observance of the upcoming holidays and employee winter break, Alliance and Alliance Foundation entities staff in Boston, Chicago, and Duke offices will be "out of office" December 26 through Janu
November 22, 2022
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance), a national clinical research group sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is seeking nominations for the position of Group Chair.
The Alliance Group Chair will be responsible for all scientific, financial, and administrative activities of the Alliance and will chair the Alliance Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The Group Chair will
November 4, 2022
The 2022 Alliance Fall Hybrid Group Meeting Book cover and internal design carry on our 10th anniversary’s celebratory theme, highlighting the location of our in-person meeting - Chicago! The meeting book is available on the Alliance member website. Click here.
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in
October 18, 2022
Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC, is pleased to announce that an update of the Palbociclib Collaborative Adjuvant Study (PALLAS/AFT-05) led by Co-Principal Investigators Erica L. Mayer, MD, MPH (AFT/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) and Angela DeMichele, MD, MSCE (PrECOG/University of Pennsylvania) will be presented by Dr. DeMichele at 3 pm ET October 18, 2022, as part of the monthly Am
October 5, 2022
The Alliance Office of the Group Chair, and Alliance Chicago, Boston, and Duke Offices will be closed on Monday, October 10 in observance of the National Indigenous Peoples/Columbus Day holiday.
The Alliance Statistics and Data Management Center, most Alliance Biorepositories, and McKesson's Clinical Research Services will remain open on Monday, October 10. For specific details, review the BioMS hol
September 10, 2022
Boston, MA – The Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC (AFT) will present data from PRESTO (AFT-19), the first trial to evaluate if intensifying the treatment beyond androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) by adding apalutamide with or without abiraterone acetate plus prednisone for a finite period will prolong disease progre
August 10, 2022
CHICAGO, IL (August 10, 2022) - The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology applauds the appointment of its Group Chair and President of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO, to serve as President Joe Biden’s pick for Director of the N
August 8, 2022
An Intimate Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trial Protocol Development Program
The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Clinical Immuno-Oncology Network (SCION) Workshop is an intimate immunotherapy clinical trial development program, led by experts in the field who are equipped to help their assigned students navigate through the unique considerations that accompany immunotherapy treatments.
August 1, 2022
Alliance A212102: Blinded Reference Set for Multicancer Early Detection Blood Tests
Overview: Alliance investigator Marie E. Wood, MD (University of Colorado) leads this study that collects blood and tissue samples from patients with cancer and without cancer to evaluate tests for early cancer detection. Collecting and storing samples of blood and tissue from patients with and without cancer to study in the labora
July 15, 2022
Alliance A032101: A phase 2 trial of ADT interruption in patients responding exceptionally to AR-pathway inhibitor in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC): A-DREAM
Overview: Atish Choudhury, MD, PhD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, leads this phase II trial that examines antiandrogen therapy interruptions in patients with hormone-sensitive prostate can
July 14, 2022
In a study of patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer, combination chemotherapy with modified FOLFIRINOX before surgery increased survival relative to historical data and compared favorably to FOLFIRINOX plus hypofractionated radiotherapy, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center published today in JAMA Oncology.
The multicenter, randomized p
July 12, 2022
Alliance A221803: Mepitel film for the reduction of radiation dermatitis in breast cancer patients undergoing post-mastectomy radiation therapy: A randomized phase III clinical trial
Overview: Alliance investigator Kimberly Corbin, MD, of Mayo Clinic, leads this phase III trial that studies how well Mepitel Film works in reducing radiation dermatitis (redness and peeling) in patients with
June 7, 2022
Alliance A091903: A randomized phase II trial of adjuvant nivolumab with or without cabozantinib in patients with resected mucosal melanoma
Overview: Alliance investigator Alexander Shoushtari, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, leads this phase II trial to test whether nivolumab in combination with cabozantinib works in patients with mucosal melanoma. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, suc
May 18, 2022
The 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will convene in-person June 3-7 in Chicago, bringing together thousands of oncology professionals from around the world. This year's meeting theme is "Advancing Equitable Cancer Care Through Innovation." Studies spanning the spectrum of cancer prevention and care, from immunotherapy and precision medicine to survivorship, will be h
In observance of the Memorial Day Holiday, Alliance/AFT/Alliance Foundation offices in Boston, Chicago, and at Duke, along with Alliance Statistics and Data Management Center offices in Rochester, will be closed on Monday, May 30. McKesson's Clinical Research Services and most Alliance Biorepositories will also be closed on Monday, May 30. For more details, view the BioMS Holiday Schedule or contact the Clinical Research Service
May 9, 2022
It’s been two years since our last face-to-face Group meeting and we look forward to connecting with everyone at the 2022 Alliance Spring Hybrid Group Meeting. We'll review our accomplishments over the past 10 years, and, as always, engage the entire Alliance community in planning for the future. This will be our first hybrid meeting where members can attend either in-perso
March 16, 2022
Alliance A022001: Phase II randomized, prospective trial of lutetium lu 177 dotatate PRRT versus capecitabine and temozolomide in well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
Overview: Alliance investigator Timothy J. Hobday, MD, of Mayo Clinic, leads this phase II trial that compares capecitabine and temozolomide to lutetium Lu 177 dotatate for the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumo
March 14, 2022
Join us as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary in Chicago May 11-14. It’s been two years since our last face-to-face Group meeting, and we look forward to connecting with you at the 2022 Alliance Spring Hybrid Group Meeting. We will be reviewing our accomplishments over the past 10 years, and, as always, engaging the entire Alliance community in planning for the future. This will be our first hybrid
March 10, 2022
Alliance A021804: MAIN-CAV: Phase III randomized trial of maintenance cabozantinib and avelumab vs maintenance avelumab after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer
Overview: Alliance investigators Shilpa Gupta, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, leads this phase III trial that compares the effect of adding cabozantinib to avelumab versus avelumab
February 23, 2022
Alliance A211801: BRCA-P: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center, international phase 3 study to determine the preventive effect of denosumab on breast cancer in women carrying a BRCA1 germline mutation
Overview: Alliance investigator Judy E. Garber, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, leads this phase III trial that compares denosumab to placebo for the pre
February 15, 2022
January 12, 2022
In observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday on Monday, January 17, Alliance/AFT/Alliance Foundation offices in Boston, Chicago, and Duke will be closed. McKesson's Clinical Research Services will also be closed. However, most Alliance Biorepositories will be open. For specific details, contact the BioMS Help Desk or the Clinical Research Services team at 800-693-4903 or clinicalresearchservices@mckes
Alliance A082002: A randomized phase II/III trial of modern immunotherapy based systemic therapy with or without SBRT for PD-L1-negative advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Overview: Alliance investigator Steven Schild, MD, of Mayo Clinic in Arizona, leads this phase II/III trial that compares the addition of radiation therapy to the usual treatment (immunotherapy with or without chemotherapy) vs. usual t
December 20, 2021
In observance of the upcoming holidays and employee appreciation time-off, Alliance/AFT/Alliance Foundation staff in Boston, Chicago, and Duke office will be "out of office" from December 24 through January 3. The Alliance Statistics and Data Management Center (SDMC) will also be closed Friday, December 24 and Friday, December 31.
Du
December 13, 2021
The Alliance Executive Committee announced today the appointment of Saad Z. Usmani, MD, MBA, FACP, who will be joining Alliance as Chair of the Myeloma Committee. Dr. Usmani is Chief of the Myeloma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. An international expert in the development of novel therapies for myeloma and related diseases, Dr. Usmani has been an outstanding contributor to the NCI’s National Clinical
December 2, 2021
Alliance A211901: Reaching rural cancer survivors who smoke using text-based cessation interventions
Overview: Alliance investigator Devon Noonan, PhD, MPH, FNP-BC, of Duke School of Nursing, leads this phase III trial that compares the effect of text-based cessation intervention to a manual in helping rural cancer patients who smoke, quit. Text-based scheduled gradual reduction may reduce
November 22, 2021
As many celebrate Thanksgiving this week, we want to take a moment to extend our sincerest thanks for the continued hard work and outstanding efforts of our members and staff. Whether an investigator, physician, nurse, clinical research professional, pharmacist, pathologist, radiologist, urologist, surgeon, patient advocate, administrator, community site, academic institution, research partner/collaborator, federal sponsor, or All
October 29, 2021
Hats off and thank you to the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center LAPS (Hedy L. Kindler, MD, Principal Investigator) for the 2021 Alliance Fall Virtual Group Meeting Book cover design. The meeting book is available on the Alliance member website. Click here.
October 27, 2021
The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced the election of 90 regular members and 10 international members during its annual meeting this month, among which included Alliance Group Chair Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professiona
October 25, 2021
Alliance A092001: Phase 2 randomized trial of neoadjuvant or palliative chemotherapy with or without immunotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma
Overview: Alliance investigator Aaron Mansfield, MD, of Mayo Clinic, leads this phase II trial that compares the usual treatment alone to using immunotherapy (atezolizumab) plus the usual treatment in treating patients with peritoneal mesothelioma. The usual treatmen
Alliance A222004: A randomized phase III trial of olanzapine versus megestrol acetate for cancer-associated anorexia
Overview: Alliance investigator Aminah Jatoi, MD, of Mayo Clinic, leads this phase III trial that compares the effects of olanzapine versus megestrol acetate in treating loss of appetite in patients with cancer that has spread to other places in the body (advanced). Olanzapine may stimulat
October 21, 2021
The Alliance Constitution calls for term limits for Alliance scientific leaders, including our Committee Chairs and Group Chair. After completing a spectacular decade under the leadership of Richard M. Stone, MD, the Alliance Leukemia Committee will be transitioning to a new leadership team. Following a rigorous national search, I am delighted to announce that Geoffrey L. Uy, MD, of Washington University’
October 6, 2021
The Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC (AFT), in partnership with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced the launch of the first gynecological oncology study in the AFT portfolio - AFT-50 EndoMAP [A phase IB/II umbrella study for patients with recurrent or persistent endometrial cancer]. The AFT-50 EndoMAP study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of targeted agents paired with immuno
September 17, 2021
September 15, 2021
The TransPALLAS Committee today announced a Research Call for Investigators for the PALLAS study. The following three documents provide more details about the research call:
Trans-PALLAS Overview Research Calls for Investigators PALLAS-Research Proposal Checklist PALLAS-Research Project Proposal Submission Form
September 10, 2021
Alliance A021901: Randomized phase II trial of lutetium Lu 177 dotatate versus everolimus in somatostatin receptor positive bronchial neuroendocrine tumors
Overview: Alliance investigator Thomas Hope, MD, of the University of California San Francisco, leads this phase II trial that studies the effect of lutetium Lu 177 dotatate compared to the usual treatment (everolimus) in treating patients with
August 30, 2021
August 25, 2021
Dear Alliance Members and Colleagues,
I am sure that you are all following with concern the current status of COVID-19 infection in our communities. It is now clear that although vaccinated individuals are mostly protected from serious disease, they can develop an infection that can be transmitted to others. This raises serious concerns for all of us who int
August 2, 2021
Alliance A051902: A randomized phase II study of CHO(E)P vs. oral azacitidine-CHO(E)P vs. duvelisib-CHO(E)P in previously untreated CD30 negative peripheral T-cell lymphomas
Overview: Alliance investigator Neha Mehta-Shah, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine, leads this phase II trial that studies the effect of duvelisib or CC-486 and usual chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubic
July 30, 2021
Alliance A222001: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II study of oxybutynin versus placebo for the treatment of hot flashes in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy
Overview: Alliance investigator Bradley Stish, MD, of Mayo Clinic, leads this phase II trial that compares the effect of oxybutynin versus placebo for reducing hot flashes in men receiving androgen de
June 4, 2021
May 18, 2021
THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the 2021 Alliance Spring Virtual Group Meeting. Your amazing efforts continue to advance cancer research. Our next Group meeting will be held in person in Chicago November 4-6 2021. Unitl then, stay safe and well!
Be sure to check the Meeting Presentations section of this website beginning the week of May 25 for videos and slide decks from meeting sessions. In the me
May 5, 2021
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will convene the 2021 Alliance Spring Virtual Group Meeting May 12-15. The four-day meeting continues to draw attendance from scientists, clinical research professionals, patient advocates, and others interested in the latest developments in cancer research to actively participate in interactive sessions. More than 80 disease, modality, administrative and special se
March 15, 2021
The 2021 Alliance Spring Virtual Group Meeting will take place May 12-15 utilizing Zoom or Windstream Audio/Video Conferencing. Registration for the upcoming virtual Group meeting is now open. Visit the Alliance website or Cvent to manage your registration. To view the meeting schedule, click here.
Sessions listed as closed are only open to official committee members and in
February 22, 2021
Alliance A031902: CASPAR- A phase III trial of enzalutamide and rucaparib as a novel therapy in first-line metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer
Overview: Alliance investigator Arpit Rao, MD, of the University of Minnesota, leads this randomized, placebo-controlled phase III trial to evaluate the benefit of rucaparib and enzalutamide combination therapy versus en
January 15, 2021
ASCO 12/22/2020 Statement “COVID-19 Vaccine & Patients with Cancer" At this time, patients with cancer may be offered vaccination against COVID-19 as long as components of that vaccine are not contraindicated. The current US CDC recommendations around vaccination do not mention cancer but do discuss immunocompromised individuals. They state: “Immunocompromised individuals may st
January 11, 2021
Alliance A011801: The CompassHER2 trials (Comprehensive use of pathologic response assessment to optimize therapy in HER2-positive breast cancer) CompassHER2 residual disease (RD), a double-blinded, phase III randomized trial of T-DM1 compared with T-DM1 and tucatinib
Overview: Alliance investigator Ciara C. O'Sullivan, MB, BCh, BAO, of Mayo Clinic, leads this phase III trial that studi
Alliance A031901: Duration of immune checkpoint therapy in locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma: A randomized phase 3 non-inferiority trial
Overview: Alliance investigators Xiao X. Wei, MD, MAS and Toni K. Choueiri, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, lead this phase III trial that compares survival in patients with urothelial cancer who stop immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment aft
December 16, 2020
May the holiday spirit be with you and your family throughout the New Year. In observance of the upcoming holidays and employee appreciation time-off, Alliance/AFT/Alliance Foundation staff in Boston, Chicago, and Duke office will be "out of office&qu
December 10, 2020
Alliance A191901: Optimizing endocrine therapy through motivational interviewing and text interventions
Overview: Alliance investigator Katherine E. Reeder-Hayes, MD, MBA, MSc, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, leads this phase III that compares an additional support program, using text message reminders and/or telephone-based counseling, with usual care in making sure pat
December 4, 2020
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is pleased to announce that Alliance A011502 (led by Wendy Chen, MD, MPH, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) has met its accrual goal of 2,936 patients and has been closed to accrual. Alliance A011502: A randomized phase III double-blinded placebo-controlled trial of aspirin as adjuvant therapy for HER2 negative breast cancer: The ABC trial. This randomized phase
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC will present an array of novel data from many of its hematology studies during the virtually-held 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition December 5-8. Many of these data will help change the delivery of hematologic cancer care or help elucidate the underlying cause and effect relationships seen in this field.
Women with a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer, known as HER2-positive disease, now have unique options that can help tailor their treatment more effectively. Based on results from a phase III clinical trial that followed women for seven years and was conducted at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and other cancer centers nationwide, a new therapeutic roadmap may h
November 19, 2020
We're Thankful for You As many celebrate Thanksgiving next week, we wanted to take a moment to extend our sincerest thanks for the continued hard work and outstanding efforts of our cancer research community. Whether you're an investigator, physician, nurse, clinical research professional, pharmacist, pathologist, radiologist, urologist, surgeon, patient advocate, study participant, caregiver, administrator, community site,
November 2, 2020
Alliance A021804: A prospective, multi-institutional phase II trial evaluating temozolomide vs. temozolomide and olaparib for advanced pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma
Overview: Alliance investigators Jaydira Del Rivero, of the National Cancer Institute, and Kimberly J. Perez, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, lead this phase II trial that studies how well the addition of olaparib
October 30, 2020
Alliance A071702: A phase II study of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy in patients with somatically hypermutated recurrent glioblastoma
Overview: Alliance investigator Gavin P Dunn, MD, PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, leads this phase II trial that studies the effect of immunotherapy drugs (ipilimumab and nivolumab) in treating patients with gliobla
October 28, 2020
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will convene the 2020 Alliance Fall Virtual Group Meeting November 4-7. The four-day meeting expects to draw attendance from scientists, clinical research professionals, patient advocates, and others interested in the latest developments in cancer research to actively participate in interactive sessions. More than 80 disease, modality, ad
October 23, 2020
Results from the largest study of its kind led researchers from the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology to identify a genetic variant that can be used to predict if patients with cancer will develop hypertension from the cancer drug bevacizumab. Findings from this unique study will be presented by Federico Innocenti, MD, PhD, Associate Professor at the Eshelman Scho
October 8, 2020
The 2020 Alliance Fall Virtual Group Meeting will take place November 4-7. Registration is now open. To view the meeting schedule, click here. To manage your meeting registration, visit the Alliance website. Web links and dial-in information for sessions will be available in the coming weeks.
If you have questions about the meeting or registration, please send n e-mail to AllianceTravel@bwh.harvard.edu
September 14, 2020
The Alliance Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Electra D. Paskett, PhD, to the position of Director of the Alliance Cancer Control Program and Principal Investigator for the Alliance NCORP Research Base. Dr. Paskett is the Marion N. Rowley Professor of Cancer Research and Director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
July 2, 2020
The Alliance and Alliance Foundation offices in Boston and Chicago will be closed Friday, July 3 in observance of the Independence Day holiday, and staff will be "out of office" Monday, July 6 through Friday, July 10 for an employee appreciation break.
Alliance Central Protocol Operations staff will be checking messages twice daily during the week of July 6-10 and will r
Alliance A021806: A phase III trial of perioperative versus adjuvant chemotherapy for resectable pancreatic cancer
Overview: Alliance investigator Cristina Ferrone, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, leads this phase III that compares perioperative chemotherapy (given before and after surgery) versus adjuvant chemotherapy (given after surgery) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer that can be remov
June 5, 2020
The NCI CIRB is announcing its annual ‘open call’ for new board members. This year, the NCI CIRB is recruiting for medical oncologists and patient representatives. The NCI CIRB will be accepting applications through June 30. The new members will be appointed in September, oriented in October, and will join the boards, as full voting members, in January 2021. Complete information about t
June 3, 2020
Alliance A081801: Integration of immunotherapy into adjuvant therapy for resected NSCLC: ALCHEMIST chemo-IO
Overview: Alliance investigator Jacob Sands, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, leads this phase III ALCHEMIST trial that compares the addition of pembrolizumab to usual chemotherapy versus usual chemotherapy for the treatment of stage IB, II, or
May 29, 2020
Second Interim Analysis of Adjuvant Study for HR+, HER2- Early Breast Cancer Demonstrates That There is
May 8, 2020
The 2020 Alliance Spring Virtual Group Meeting will take place next week May 14-16 utilizing Zoom and Windstream Audio/Video Conferencing. Meeting materials for the upcoming virtual meeting are now available on the Alliance website. Materials include the spring meeting book, web links/dial-in information/helpfu
May 4, 2020
A one-time FY20 opportunity for BIQSFP supplement awards to support non-real time (NRT) integrated studies associated with randomized, phase 2 or 3 trials conducted by NCTN Groups and NCORP Research Bases is currently available.
Up to three supplements will be made by September 30, 2020 and the maximum budget allowed is $500,000 in direct costs per su
May 1, 2020
Alliance A221805: Duloxetine to prevent oxaliplatin-Induced chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II to phase III study Overview: Alliance investigator Ellen M. Lavoie Smith, PhD, RN, FAAN, of the University of Michigan, leads this phase II/III trial to study the best dose of duloxetine and how well it works in preventing pain, tingling, and nu
April 23, 2020
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will convene its 2020 Spring Group Meeting May 14-16 virtually. Scientists, clinical research professionals, patient advocates and guests will tune into their laptops, smartphones or other devices to discuss and learn about the latest developments in cancer research. With more than 40 open meetings and 20-plus closed sessio
April 1, 2020
To provide guidance and address issues related to the novel coronavirus, the Alliance has created a dedicated webpage for all Alliance COVID-19 updates and resources. Use the link below to access the webpage.
Alliance COVID-19 Updates & Resources Webpage
This link can also be accessed from:
- News section on Alliance public website - Home page on Alliance member website - Quick Links section on A
March 31, 2020
NCI and the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) are developing NCI-ComboMATCH, a successor precision medicine trial to NCI-MATCH. NCI-ComboMATCH will concentrate on targeted drug combination signal-seeking studies supported by preclinical in vivo evidence.
NCI-ComboMATCH trial leadership invites applications for Clinical Laboratory Improvements Pro
March 6, 2020
The Alliance Executive Committee announced today its decision on how best to address challenges created by the entry of Covid-19 into our world. The committee has decided to change the nature of the 2020 Alliance Spring Group Meeting (May 13-16) from an in person to a virtual meeting, therefore eliminating travel for attendees. The committee asks that those who planned to attend the meeting reserve these days in their
March 2, 2020
Members and staff of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology are greatly saddened by the loss of our dear colleague Clara Bloomfield, MD, who passed away March 1 as a result of complications of trauma sustained in an accidental fall. Dr. Bloomfield brought tremendous intellectual gifts to
January 31, 2020
Alliance A151804: Establishment of a national biorepository to advance studies of immune-related adverse events Overview: Alliance investigator David Kozono, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Hospital, leads this trial to collect research data and samples from patients who experience immunotherapy side effects to store for use in future
January 6, 2020
Alliance A031803: Phase II trial of intravesical gemcitabine and MK-3475 (pembrolizumab) in the treatment of patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer Overview: Alliance investigator Michael Woods, MD, of Loyola University Medical Center, leads this phase II trial to see how well gemcitabine together with pembrolizumab works in treating patients with non-muscle invasive bl
December 16, 2019
Alliance A031801: A phase II randomized trial of radium-223 dichloride and cabozantinib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma with bone metastasis (RadiCal) Overview: Alliance investigator Rana R. McKay, MD, of the University of California San Diego, leads this phase II trial to see whether adding radium-223 dichloride to the usual treatment, cabozantinib, improves outcome in patients with renal cel
In observance of Christmas and New Year's Day, Alliance Chicago and Boston Offices will be closed Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, December 25, and Monday, December 30 through Wednesday, January 1. The Alliance Boston Office will have tech support available for critical issues only Mond
November 26, 2019
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that raises funds to support Alliance research. In 2020, the Alliance Foundation will be providing funding to support work that accelerates progress toward Alliance Scientific Strategic Goals.
The deadline for proposal submissions is March 1, 2020. Linked here is a request for proposals issued by the Alliance Found
November 3, 2019
UPCOMING FALL GROUP MEETING CONVENES NOVEMBER 7-9
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will convene its 2019 Fall Group Meeting in Chicago November 7-9. Scientists, clinical research professionals, patient advocates and others interested in the latest developments in cancer research are expected to attend the three-day meeting at the
October 15, 2019
Alliance A071801: Phase III trial of post-surgical single fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) compared with fractionated SRS (FSRS) for resected metastatic brain disease Overview: Alliance investigator Paul Brown, MD, of Mayo Clinic, leads this phase III trial to see how well single fraction stereotactic radiosurgery works compared with fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery in treating patients with cance
October 1, 2019
Alliance A021703: Randomized double-blind phase III trial of vitamin D3 supplementation in patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer (SOLARIS) Overview: Alliance investigator Kimmie Ng, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, leads this phase III trial that looks at how well vitamin D3 given with standard chemotherapy and bevacizumab works in treating patients with colorectal cancer that h
August 19, 2019
NCI Community Oncology Research Program Expands to More States Alliance Boasts 27 NCORP Community Sites | 12 Minority/Underserved Community Sites | 1 Research Base The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded 53 grants to researchers in the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) to conduct multi-site cancer clinical trials and cancer care delivery studies in their communities.
August 15, 2019
Alliance A071701: Genomically-guided treatment trial in brain metastases Overview: Alliance investigator Priscilla Brastianos, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, leads this phase II trial that looks at how well genetic testing works in guiding treatment for patients with solid tumors that have spread to the brain. Several genes have been found to be altered or mutated in brain metastases such as NTRK
August 6, 2019
Alliance A051701: Randomized phase II/III study of venetoclax (ABT199) plus dose-adjusted EPOCH-R for MYC/BCL2 double-hit and double protein expressing lymphomas
Overview: Alliance investigator Jeremy Abramson, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, leads this phase II/III trial that looks at whether it is possible to decrease the chance of high-grade B-cell lymphomas returning or getting worse b
July 9, 2019
Alliance Nursing Liaisons. The Alliance Oncology Nursing Committee (A-ONC) invites applications for two nursing liaison positions (one each) for the Alliance Lymphoma Committee and Alliance Respiratory Committee (click each link for specific details). The deadline for applications is July 22, 2019.
Alliance Scholar Awards. These are two-year, non-renewable cancer research grants of $40,000 dire
June 25, 2019
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology makes available a variety of funding opportunities for Alliance members and investigators. Take a look at the opportunities below and feel free to nominate or apply for any that align with individual goals or seem ideal for a colleague.
Jimmie Holland Lecturer. This lecturer is an investigator whose research has resulted in a major impact in the field of psycho
June 7, 2019
Jimmie C. Holland, MD, founded the field of psycho-oncology, a discipline devoted to studying psychological, social, and behavioral factors that may affect outcomes in patients with cancer. Dr. Holland was a leader in the CALGB/Alliance and has trained many Alliance cancer clinicians and researchers in this field. Dr. Holland's groundbreaking research has vastly improved overall treatment outcomes by increasing our
May 31, 2019
Alliance A221702: Axillary Reverse Mapping: A prospective trial to study rates of lymphedema and regional recurrence after sentinel lymph node biopsy and sentinel lymph node biopsy followed by axillary lymph node dissection with and without axillary reverse mapping (ARM)
Overview: Alliance investigator V. Suzanne Kimberg, MD, PhD, of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galverston, leads this pha
May 21, 2019
The Alliance Office of the Group Chair, Alliance Chicago Office, and the Alliance Statistics and Data Center will be closed on Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day. Alliance Biorepositories and McKesson's Clinical Research Services will also be closed on Monday, May 27. For specific details, review the McKesson memo, BioMS holiday schedule or contact the Clinical Research Services team at 800-693-4903 or clinicalr
May 20, 2019
Anthony Jaslowski, MD, will serve as new Chair of the Alliance Constitution and Bylaws Committee. He succeeds Bruce A. Peterson, MD, of the University of Minnesota/Masonic Cancer Center. Dr. Jaslowski is the Principal Investigator of the Wisconsin NCI Community Oncology Research Program and Medical Director of HSHS St. Vincent Cancer Research Institute. He is also Chair of the Department of Oncology and Cancer Committee at Green Bay
May 17, 2019
Alliance A091802: Phase II randomized trial of avelumab plus cetuximab versus avelumab alone in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (cSCC)
Overview: Alliance investigator Dan P. Zandberg, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, leads this phase II Alliance trial looks at how well avelumab with or without cetuximab work in treating patients with skin squamous cell cancer that h
May 16, 2019
The 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will convene in Chicago May 31-June 4 with Alliance Group Chair Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, completing her 2018-2019 term as ASCO President. The ASCO meeting brings together more than 32,000 oncology professionals from around the world. This year's meeting theme is "Caring for Every Patient, Learning f
May 9, 2019
Alliance A031704 - PD-inhibitor (nivolumab) and ipilimumab followed by nivolumab vs. VEGF TKI cabozantinib with nivolumab: A phase III trial in metastatic untreated renal cell cancer (PDIGREE)
Overview: Alliance investigator Tian Zhang, MD, of the Duke University Medical Center, leads this phase III Alliance trial looks at how well nivolumab and ipilimumab, followed by nivolumab versus cabozantinib and nivolumab, work in tr
April 15, 2019
Alliance A031702 - Phase II study of cabozantinib in combination with nivolumab and ipilimumab in rare genitourinary tumors
Alliance investigator Andrea Apolo, MD, of the NCI Center for Cancer Research, leads this phase II trial to see how well cabozantinib s-malate, nivolumab, and ipilimumab work together in treating patients with genitourinary tumors that have spread to other places in the body. Cabozantinib s-malate may
April 5, 2019
Primary study results for CALGB/Alliance 50303 (Phase III randomized study of R-CHOP vs. dose-adjusted EPOCH-R with molecular profiling in untreated de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphomas) are now available online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The trial compared the event-free survival of standard rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHO
Alliance A231601CD - Improving surgical care and outcomes in older cancer patients through implementation of an efficient pre-surgical toolkit (OPTI-Surg)
Alliance researcher George J. Chang, MD, MS, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, leads a trial to see how well the use of a pre-surgical toolkit (OPTI-Surg) works in improving surgical care and out
March 15, 2019
Alliance A231701CD - Assessing financial difficulty in patients with blood cancers
Alliance researcher Rena Conti, PhD, of the Boston University Questrom School of Business, leads a trial that seeks to better understand the range of financial difficulties experienced by patients with multiple myeloma (MM) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who are currently undergoing or have foregone treatmen
March 5, 2019
Alliance A231701CD - Increasing socioeconomically disadvantaged patients' engagement in breast cancer surgery decision making through a shared decision making intervention
Alliance researcher Heather B. Neuman, MD, of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, leads a limited access trial on how well a breast cancer surgery decision aid works in increasing patient engagement i
February 22, 2019
Alliance A221701 - Phase III placebo-controlled trial to evaluate dexamethasone use for everolimus-induced oral stomatitis: Prevention versus early treatment approaches
Alliance researcher Kathryn J. Ruddy, MD, of Mayo Clinic, leads a new phase III trial looks at how well dexamethasone works in reducing everolimus-induced oral stomatitis in patients with cancer. Dexamethasone may help to reduce the everolimus-induced or
January 16, 2019
Alliance A041701 - A randomized phase II/III study of conventional chemotherapy +/- uproleselan (GMI-1271) in older adults with acute myeloid leukemia receiving intensive induction chemotherapy
Alliance researcher Geoffrey L. Uy, MD, of Washington University - Siteman Cancer Center, leads a new phase II/III trial that looks to study how well daunorubicin and cytarabine with or without uproleselan works in treating
January 7, 2019
Alliance A041702 - A randomized phase III study of ibrutinib plus obinutuzumab versus ibrutinib plus venetoclax and obinutuzumab in untreated older patients (>70 years of age) with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Alliance researcher Jennifer Woyach, MD, of Ohio State University, leads a new trial that looks at how well ibrutinib and obinutuzumab with or wi
December 20, 2018
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December 4, 2018
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will present three abstracts at this year's 41st Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium December 4-8 in San Antonio, TX. The symposium is designed to provide state-of-the-art information on the experimental biology, etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of breast cancer and premalignant breast disease, to an international audience of academic and private phy
December 3, 2018
Alliance A041703 - A phase II study of inotuzumab ozogamicin followed by blinatumomab for Ph-negative CD22-positive B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia in newly diagnosed older adults or adults with relapsed or refractory disease
Alliance researcher Matthew Wieduwilt, MD, PhD, of University of California San Diego, leads a new trial that looks to study how well inotuzumab ozogamicin and blinatumomab work
Hats off to Jennifer Woyach, MD (of Ohio State University) and the Alliance A041202 Study Team! Results from this study have just been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The results indicate that among older patients with untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), treatment with ibrutinib, either alone or in combination with rituximab, was superior to treatment with ben
November 13, 2018
Members and staff of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear colleague Arti Hurria, MD, who died November 7 as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. A leader in the field of geriatric oncology, Dr. Hurria dedicated her career to making sure that older adults with cancer received care that served them best.
November 4, 2018
Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, has been re-elected to serve as the Group Chair of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology for another five-year term. The election was held November 2 at the 2018 Alliance Fall Group Meeting in Chicago, IL. Dr. Bertagnolli is Chief of the Division of Surgical at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, a Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, and an As
October 23, 2018
August 29, 2018
David J. Sugarbaker, MD, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, August 29. Dr. Sugarbaker served as the founding Chair of the Surgery Committee for CALGB, prior to the merger that created the Alliance. He was the Principal Investigator of a grant from the NCI that re-vitalized and dramatically expanded surgeon participation in cooperative group research, prior to the cr
August 14, 2018
Alliance researcher Gopakumar Iyer, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, leads a new trial (A031701) that looks at how well drugs (gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin) work in treating patients with invasive bladder urothelial cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine hydrochloride and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by
July 20, 2018
The Moertel Lecture Endowment Fund was established at Mayo Clinic to honor the legacy of Charles Moertel as the founder of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG), one of the three legacy groups that formed the Alliance. Dr. Moertel was known for his dedication to high-quality clinical research that provided practice-changing evidence to benefit patient care in the community setting. The Moertel Lecture
July 18, 2018
Alliance researcher Jennifer Chan, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, leads a new trial (A021602) that looks at the drug cabozantinib S-malate to see how well it works compared with placebo in treating patients with neuroendocrine tumors previously treated with everolimus that have spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes or to other places in the body, or cannot be removed by surgery.
Alliance A021602 - Randomi
Robert Harrison, a research advocate and patient advocate, died July 17. He was 74. Mr. Harrison served as a Patient Advocate for the Alliance Genitourinary (GU) Committee since 2016.
Mr. Harrison hailed from Clayton, North Carolina. He was the founding President of the Patient and Family Advisory Board at North Carolina Cancer Hospital (NCCH) in Chapel Hill and a patient advocate for three university-based canc
July 12, 2018
Hank Porterfield, a research advocate and patient advocate, died July 4. He was 95. Mr. Porterfield served as a Patient Advocate for the Alliance/CALGB Genitourinary (GU) Committee and Alliance/CALGB Prevention Committee for more than 15 years. He retired in November 2017 from the Alliance.
Mr. Porterfield was also a founding member and Chair of Us TOO International, an advocacy group focusing on prostate cance
July 10, 2018
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation invites applications for the 2019 Alliance Scholar Awards! Applications must be submitted by midnight CST July 31, 2018. Alliance Scholar Award applicants must be oncology junior faculty at Alliance institutions within five (5) years of training (rank below Associate Professor), who have completed training in an oncology clinical specialty (e.g., medical
July 2, 2018
June 27, 2018 The Alliance Office of the Group Chair, Alliance Chicago Office, and the Alliance Statistics and Data Center will be closed on Wednesday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day. Alliance Biorepositories and McKesson's Clinical Research Services will also be closed on Wednesday, July 4. For specific details, review the BioMS holiday schedule or contact the Clinical Research Services team at 800-693-4903 or clinicalresearc
May 24, 2018
The Alliance Office of the Group Chair, Alliance Chicago Office, and the Alliance Statistics and Data Center will be closed on Monday, May 28 in observance of Memorial Day. Alliance Biorepositories and McKesson's Clinical Research Services will also be closed on Monday, May 28. For specific details, review the BioMS holiday schedule or contact the Clinical Research Services team at 800-693-4903 or clinic
May 18, 2018
The 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will convene in Chicago June 1-5 with Alliance Group Chair Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, at the helm as ASCO President for the 2018-19 term. The ASCO meeting brings together more than 30,000 oncology professionals from around the world. This year's meeting theme is "Delivering Discoveries: Expanding the Reach of Precision Medicine." Studies spanning the
May 4, 2018
Since 1993, the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation has raised funds to help the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology answer important cancer research questions through large-scale clinical trials and laboratory research. The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation turns 25 this month! Helping find new ways to prevent, treat and cure many types of cancer, including
April 27, 2018
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will convene its 2018 Spring Group Meeting in Chicago May 10-12. Scientists, clinical research professionals, patient advocates and others interested in the latest developments in cancer research are expected to attend the four-day meeting at the Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel. Meeting attendees will select from nearly 100 disease, modality, administrative and special sessions t
April 18, 2018
Steven Piantadosi, MD, PhD, will join the Alliance Executive Committee as the Associate Group Chair for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation. Dr. Piantadosi will also join the Alliance Statistics and Data Management Program, under the direction of Sumithra Mandrekar, PhD, Alliance Group Statistician. He will be located in the Alliance Group Chair's Office in Boston, where he has recentl
April 16, 2018
March 30, 2018
Karen Durham, a research advocate and patient advocate, died March 26. She was 66. Mrs. Durham served as a Patient Advocate for the Alliance Health Outcomes Committee and Alliance Community Oncology Committee since 2016. A highly-respected advocate for breast cancer patients and research, Mrs. Durham was selected as a Susan G. Komen Scholar and Advocates in Science Steering Committee member and served local
March 29, 2018
Some stage III colon cancer patients can cut in half the number of chemotherapy treatments they receive after surgery, significantly reducing the costs, treatment time, and long-term toxic effects of chemotherapy, according to results of a unique global clinical trial collaboration published for the first time in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Results show that for some colon cancer pati
March 23, 2018
James F. Holland, MD, a pioneer in the field of medical oncology, died March 22. He was 92. Dr. Holland was one of the founding members of Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB). He served as Group Chair of CALGB from 1963 to 1981. At the time of his death, he was the Distinguished Professor of Neoplastic Diseases at
March 6, 2018
February 8, 2018
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will present an abstract from its study portfolio during the 2018 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium: Translating Evidence to Multidisciplinary Care this week in San Francisco, CA. The annual symposium gives physicians and other members of the cancer care and research community who diagnose, treat, and study genitourinary malignancies the opport
February 2, 2018
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology this week opened two new trials for treating patients with Merkel cell cancer, a rare type of skin cancer, and for patients with breast cancer who have undergone mastectomy.
Alliance A091605: A randomized phase II study of anti-PD1 antibody [MK-3475 (pembrolizumab)] alone versus anti-PD1 antibody plus stereotactic body radiation therapy in adva
January 19, 2018
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will present three abstracts from its study portfolio during the 2018 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium this week in San Francisco, CA. The annual symposium features multidisciplinary topics of international interest, including cancers of the esophagus and stomach, pancreas, small bowel and hepatobiliary tract, and the colon, rectum and anus
December 27, 2017
Jimmie C. Holland, MD, a pioneer in the field of psycho-oncology, died December 25. She was healthy and active up to the day of her passing, at the age of 89. So few individuals can be credited with changing cancer care world wide, and Dr. Holland was one of them. Those of us in the Alliance are so very fortunate that she was among the founders of our group. Dr. Holland established the
December 20, 2017
Patrick Gavin, RPh, a research advocate who brought the patient voice and perspective to the research table, died December 18. He was 68. Mr. Gavin served as Co-Chair of the Alliance Patient Committee and on the Board of Trustees of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation. He was also a patient advocate for neuro-oncology cancer research. His numerous contributions to the f
December 19, 2017
December 12, 2017
The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) provides state-of-the-art information on breast cancer research. SABCS is a five-day program attended by a broad international audience of academic and private researchers and physicians from more than 90 countries. Its goal is to achieve a balance of clinical, translational, and ba
December 7, 2017
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) is the world's largest professional society serving both clinicians and scientists who are working to conquer blood diseases. ASH represents more than 17,000 members from nearly 100 countries. The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will present an array of novel data from many of its hematology studies during the 59th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition Dece
September 19, 2017
The Alliance Statistics and Data Center is pleased to announce Vivien (Jun) Yin, PhD, as the first recipient of the Daniel J. Sargent, PhD, Memorial Fellowship in Innovative Clinical Trial Design and Methods. Dr. Yin is an Assistant Professor of Biostatistics,an Associate Consultant at Mayo Clinic, and Facult
September 12, 2017
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is pleased to announce the appointment of Ann L. Oberg, PhD, as the Associate Group Statistician of the Alliance Statistics and Data Center.
Dr. Oberg is a Professor of Biostatistics at Mayo Clinic and has extensive experience as a statistician, collaborating to obtain and carry out numerous funded grants. Her experience is primarily in cancer and vaccine resea
September 11, 2017
Six Alliance investigators have been selected to receive funding awards through the Alliance NCORP Research Base. The Alliance NCORP Research Base, which is supported by the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP), supports Alliance researchers and junior investigators and their work through annual funding awards: Alliance Cancer Control Program Pilot (CCP) Project Award and Alliance CCP Ju
August 22, 2017
Registration for the 2017 Alliance Fall Group Meeting November 2-4 in Chicago, IL is now open. Visit the Alliance Meeting Webpage or Cvent to manage your registration. Travelers who are funded directly by the Alliance should have received an invitation by e-mail to register for the meeting. If you have questions, please contact Samantha Berg, Alliance Meetings and Operations Coordinator, by e-mail sber
The Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC (AFT), in conjunction with Pfizer and six international cancer research groups, today announced the launch of PATINA- a randomized, open-label, phase 3 clinical study of the cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK 4/6) inhibitor palbociclib (also known as IBRANCE®). The PATINA trial will evaluate palbociclib in combination with anti-HER2 therapy and endocrine therapy versus
August 1, 2017
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May 18, 2017
The 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will convene in Chicago June 2-6, bringing together more than 30,000 oncology professionals from around the world. This year's meeting theme is "Making a Difference in Cancer Care with You." Studies spanning the spectrum of cancer prevention an d care, from immunotherap
April 28, 2017
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved midostaurin (Rydapt©) for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who have a specific genetic mutation called FLT3, in combination with chemotherapy. The drug is approved for use with a companion diagnostic, the LeukoStrat© CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay, w
April 17, 2017
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is pleased to announce that Thomas Stinchcombe, MD, has been selected to serve as the Chair of the Alliance Respiratory Committee. Dr. Stinchcombe is a Professor of Medicine at Duke University, where he was recently recruited to help lead clinical research in thoracic oncology at the Duke Cancer Institute. Prior to this, Dr. Stinchcombe led the tho
March 27, 2017
"It is important to honor and reward the altruism of patients who participate in clinical trials. One way to do so is to share the data gathered in clinical trials with other researchers in a responsible and meaningful way. The cancer research community, encouraged by recommendations from the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot, is finally moving data sharing forward from its traditional, largely unfunded, place at the end of th
March 9, 2017
February 24, 2017
The drug lenalidomide (Revlimid®) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as maintenance therapy for patients with multiple myeloma following autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). The current approval is based on two randomized, controlled trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide maintenance therapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma
February 9, 2017
Everett Vokes, MD, of the University of Chicago, will be stepping aside after a spectacular tenure as Chair of the Alliance Respiratory Committee. The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is very grateful for his outstanding leadership, which has produced a multidisciplinary respiratory committee that is innovative, collegial and highly supportive of junior investigators. The Alliance is also very proud of the
February 8, 2017
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Executive Committee has approved the nominations of two Alliance members to co-lead the Cancer Control Program’s Cancer in the Elderly Committee.
Arti Hurria, MD | Co-Chair – Alliance Cancer in the Elderly Committee Dr. Hurria is a Professor in the Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research & Departme
January 10, 2017
Ethan Basch, MD, MSc, and Jeffrey A. Sloan, PhD, will be stepping down as Co-Chairs of the Alliance Health Outcomes Committee effective August 1, 2017 after five years of distinguished leadership service with the Alliance and many years of leadership with its legacy groups. They have both made seminal contributions in methods for collecting and analyzing pa
December 20, 2016
December 16, 2016
Alliance Group Chair Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, has been elected to serve as the President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for the term beginning in June 2018. She will take office as President-Elect during the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago in June 2017. Dr. Bertagnolli is Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, a Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medica
November 30, 2016
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will present an array of novel data from many of its hematology studies during the 58th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition December 3-6 in San Diego, CA. Many of these data will help change the delivery of hematologic cancer care or help elucidate the underlying cause and effect relationships seen in this field.
Here is a
November 29, 2016
Effective August 1, 2017, Harvey Cohen, MD, (left) and Hyman Muss, MD, will step down as Co-Chairs of the Alliance Cancer in the Elderly Committee after five years of distinguished leadership service with the Alliance and 15-plus years with Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB). The Alliance has been fortunate for their exceptional leadership and contributions in the area of cancer in the elderl
November 10, 2016
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is pleased to announce that Sumithra J. Mandrekar, PhD, has been elected by our Board of Directors to serve as the Group Statistician. Dr. Mandrekar is a Professor of Biostatistics and Oncology at the Mayo Clinic.
November 7, 2016
Meeting presentations from the 2016 Alliance Fall Group Meeting November 2-5 in Rosemont, IL are available online. Be sure to check throughout the week for additional materials that will be posted as they become available. Also, check out a few highlights from the meeting on Facebook and Twitter (search #AllianceFallGrpMtg2016).
November 1, 2016
October 12, 2016
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology proudly announces that Sumithra Mandrekar, PhD, has agreed to serve as Interim Group Statistician while the search for a new leader of the Alliance Statistics and Data Management Program begins. Dr. Mandrekar is a Professor of Biostatistics and Professor of Oncology at the Mayo Clinic. She comes to the role with outstanding experience in National Clinical Trials Network
September 23, 2016
Dear Alliance Members and Friends,
It is with profound sadness that I write to inform you of the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Dan J. Sargent, PhD. Dan passed away yesterday as the result of a sudden, unexpected illness. It is difficult to express the magnitude of this loss for all of us. Dan's wonderful collaborative personality brought people together to achieve tremendous goals for the fi
August 31, 2016
Four Alliance investigators have been selected to receive funding awards through the Alliance Cancer Control Program (CCP). The Alliance NCORP Research Base, which is supported by the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP), supports Alliance researchers and junior investigators and their work through annual funding awards: Alliance CCP Pilot Project Award and Alliance CCP Junior Faculty Awar
August 30, 2016
An Alliance researcher has been nominated and selected to serve as Co-Chair for the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR) Coordinating Committee. George J. Chang, MD, MS, FACS, FASCRS, will join two others (Ruth Carlos, MD, and Matthew Hudson, MD) in the co-chair positions. Dr. Chang is a Professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology-Division of Surgery; Chief in the Section of Co
August 26, 2016
May 26, 2016 | PDF Version
The 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will convene in Chicago June 3-7, bringing together more than 34,000 oncology professionals from around the world. This year's meeting theme, "Collective Wisdom: the Future of Patient-Centered Care and Research," focuses on the power of combining knowledge - across disciplines, disease sites, and treatment approaches - to evolve and shape the futur
May 18, 2016
March 4, 2016
December 2, 2015
The Ingres database will be upgraded Saturday, December 5 starting at 8 am, which means OPEN registrations and RDTS will be off line during this time, along with JCCS Remote Data Capture, Alliance member web pages and legacy ACOSOG and NCCTG web pages. Alliance Operations and Statistical staff should log out of XWin/NX Clients applications at the end of the day on Friday, December
November 19, 2015
The Alliance member website is scheduled for a planned outage (as part of the Ingres Upgrade) 8 am to 12 pm Sunday, November 22. Servers that support the member website will be upgraded. The outage will affect all Alliance member site web pages.
October 12, 2015
Two Alliance researchers recently were approved to receive multi-year awards from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to fund comparative effectiveness research that will help patients and their providers make better informed decisions about their care, including cancer care. Ronald C. Chen, MD, MPH, of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Deborah Sch
September 11, 2015
The Alliance for Clincial Trials in Oncology will host a Poster Session during the 2015 Alliance Fall Group Meeting in Chicago, IL. More than 1,100 investigators, nurses, CRPs, and administrative personnel from across the country are gathering to communicate their latest findings relating to the prevention and treatment of cancer. These presentations will be integral to the meeting.
If you are an Alliance membe
September 10, 2015
Due to a planned outage, there will be no access to the Alliance member website Saturday, September 12 from 8:30 pm to 10 pm. The production server that the Ingres database runs on will be offline due to an operating system patch. The outage will affect all Cancer Center applications; protocol catalog; all member web pages for the Alliance, CPN, MCCRC, Phase 2, Spore and NCCTG; and the Cancer Center Syst
August 26, 2015
Alliance Foundation Trials and Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group Open Largest Global Phase III Trial of Targeted Therapy, IBRANCE® (palbociclib), for Patients with Hormone Receptor-Positive Early Breast Cancer
Partnership with Pfizer, BIG, GBG, NSABP and PrECOG to facilitate further investigation of IBRANCE
NEW YORK, NY, August 26, 2015 -- The Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC (AFT), the Austrian Breast & Co
July 2, 2015
June 1, 2015
Investigators from the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will present and/or publish more than 30 abstracts as part of the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago May 30-June 2. Here's a quick list of Alliance and Alliance associated abstracts.
May 8, 2015
April 15, 2015
From Alliance Group Chair | Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD
It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of our colleague, Dr. Andrew Parsa, who passed away of a currently undetermined medical condition at the age of 48. Andy was a key member of the Alliance NeuroOncology Committee. At the time of his death, Andy was the Chair of Neurosurgery at Northwestern University, and also held the Michael J Marchese Chair in Neuros
March 24, 2015
Alliance researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and the Siteman Cancer Center have been awarded $1.47 million to study whether a tumor’s DNA sequence can predict brain metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Mark Watson, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology and Immunology, and Ramaswamy Govindan, MD, Professor of Med
February 27, 2015
It is with great sadness that I write to announce the untimely loss of two of our exceptional friends and colleagues - Mark Green, MD, and Meir Wetzler, MD.
Mark passed away February 23. He had been battling plasma cell leukemia for some time. Mark joined the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) in 1979, and served the Group in many leadership roles. He was
February 13, 2015
February 3, 2015
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology presented an impressive array of novel data from many of its hematology studies during the 56th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition held in San Francisco, CA. Many of these data will help change the delivery of hematologic cancer care or help elucidate the underlying cause and effect relationships seen in this field. Here is a list of the Alli
December 1, 2014
October 1, 2014
September 15, 2014
The Alliance Board of Directors recently announced the appointment of Kelly K. Hunt, MD, FACS, to the position of Director of the American College of Surgeons Clinical Research Program. This Alliance Program is the home of Cancer Care Delivery Research for our group, and also involves an important collaboration with the Commission on Cancer and the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Hunt is
August 18, 2014
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, in conjunction with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, today launched the Adjuvant Lung Cancer Enrichment Marker Identification and Sequencing Trials, or ALCHEMIST – three trials to identify patients with early-stage lung cancer who have tumors that contain uncommon genetic changes and evaluate whether d
July 3, 2014
May 6, 2014
Go to Newsletter.
February 20, 2014
February 17, 2014
As of March 1, 2014, the cooperative group system will transition to the NCTN. Click here to learn about what this transition entails.
January 23, 2014
December 12, 2013
Chicago Operations Office (closing at 3:00 p.m. CST)
Office of the Group Chair in Boston
Statistical & Data Management Center at Duke (closing at 3:00 p.m. EST)
Statistical & Data Center at Mayo (closing at 3:00 p.m. CST)
Registration Office at Mayo (closing at 3:00 p.m. CST)
November 22, 2013
The Center for Biomedical Informatics (CBMI) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis will upgrade its Information Technology (IT) infrastructure by moving its hardware to a new facility. In order to facilitate this move and at the same time to minimize the impact to our user community, we will execute this move primarily over the week of the Thanksgiving holiday in th
September 30, 2013
August 8, 2013
Go to Newsletters
June 13, 2013
May 7, 2013
April 4, 2013
March 6, 2013
February 27, 2013
In Fall of 2013, Alliance will be submitting a funding application to the NCI that will replace the current U24 biorepository awards held by our three component groups, CALGB, ACOSOG, and NCCTG. I am writing to issue a call for nominations for this Principal Investigator position. Individuals who are eligible must have a high level of expertise in biorepository management and cancer biomarker development
The Richard L. Schilsky Cancer and Leukemia Group B Achievement Award was established in 2010 to recognize the 15-year tenure of Dr. Schilsky as Group Chair of CALGB. The award acknowledges the significant contributions of an individual to cooperative group research. As an organization, it is vital for the Alliance to identify and honor the talented people respon
February 1, 2013
December 27, 2012 Alliance Offices will be closed next week as follows: Closing early (2:00 PM ET) on December 31:
Closed December 31:
December 20, 2012
December 5, 2012
The Alliance will be consolidating information systems from multiple sites to a single data center this weekend, December 7, 2012. This consolidation will require a weekend outage primarily impacting legacy CALGB systems beginning Friday, December 7 at 6:00 PM EST until the anticipated return of services by 9:00 AM EST on Monday, December 10.
All applications as well as the CALGB website (c
November 26, 2012
The Alliance will be consolidating information systems from multiple sites to a single data center the weekend of December 7, 2012. This consolidation will require a weekend outage primarily impacting legacy CALGB systems beginning Friday, December 7 at 6:00 PM EST and anticipate the return of services by 9:00 AM EST on Monday, December 10.
Additional email communications will be sent prior to the outa
November 19, 2012
Please note that the Alliance Chicago Office will be closed on Thursday, November 22, and Friday, November 23, 2012 for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Alliance Chicago Office also will be closed on Monday, December 24, and Tuesday, December 25, 2012, for the Christmas holiday, and on Monday, December 31, 2012, and Tuesday, January 1, 2013 for New Year's.
The Alliance SDC Offic
November 12, 2012
September 10, 2012
August 9, 2012
May 17, 2012
Greetings Alliance Members,
We would like to feature your recent scientific posters at the Alliance 2012 Group Meeting in Chicago on June 28 - 30.
If you recently presented a poster at a scientific meeting (2011-2012) related to cooperative group research, please bring it to the Alliance meeting. Posters will be displayed during the reception on Friday, June 29. Please e-mail kefaherty@partners.org to notify us if you will be bringing a poster by 5:
June 11, 2012
April 6, 2012
April 5, 2012
March 15, 2012
February 21, 2012
Go to Membership Application
February 16, 2012
January 30, 2012
The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation invites Alliance institution researchers to submit applications for 2012 Clinical Scholar Award and 2012 Investigator Award by February 20, 2012.
Applications should propose studies that assess interventions in cancer patients and/or examine biological specimens obtained from cancer patients.
General Guidelines for Applicants
