History of the Alliance

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology is part of a clinical trials network sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The Alliance was formed in March 2011 by the merger of three cooperative groups: the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), and North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG). The merger of these cooperative groups reflects the call in April 2010 from the Institute of Medicine to strengthen and streamline operations among NCI clinical trials cooperative group programs. In June 2010, ACOSOG, CALGB and NCCTG integrated their statistical, data management and information technology functions. In November 2010, NCI announced plans to transform the clinical trials system by reducing the number of adult cooperative groups from nine to four. Having already merged some functions, the three groups began evaluating the possibility of full integration to further streamline operations, expand their scientific research opportunities, and apply for funding as a new, larger cooperative group.

In June 2011, governing boards of ACOSOG, CALGB and NCCTG endorsed a proposed Alliance constitution, bylaws and transition plan. The Transition Alliance Board of Directors then ratified the constitution and elected a new Group Chair (Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD), along with board members to serve on the Executive Committee. The first Alliance Group Meeting was held in November 2011 in Chicago, IL. The merger was completed March 1, 2014.

The Alliance is now one of four adult network groups that comprise the NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), along with one pediatric group and one Canadian collaborating clinical trials group. The main goal of the NCTN is to conduct definitive, randomized, late phase clinical treatment trials and advanced imaging trials across a broad range of diseases and diverse patient populations.