May 3, 2005
Affiliate hospitals spread Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare expertise, research across New England
Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare is now affiliated with more than 20 community hospitals in New England, linking caregivers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) with colleagues across the region and vastly expanding patients' access to clinical research studies.
There are three types of affiliates: clinical affiliates, clinical trials affiliates, and Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) affiliates. George Canellos, MD, of Medical Oncology is the principal investigator for Dana-Farber's participation in CALGB, a cooperative program for clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.
The diversity of arrangements enables Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare to tailor its relationships with community hospitals in a variety of ways. DF/PCC is the joint service in adult oncology formed by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's, and Mass General.
At the clinical affiliates, which have the most extensive ties to DF/PCC, oncologists from Dana-Farber, BWH, and MGH participate in monthly or quarterly "tumor boards," where physicians discuss advances in cancer research and consult on difficult cases. Last year, DF/PCC physicians participated in more than 300 such meetings. There is also an annual nursing conference led by DF/PCC nurses for their counterparts at the affiliates, as well as a yearly conference for physicians. Teams of caregivers from many of the affiliates often come to DFCI, BWH, and MGH to visit clinics and meet with colleagues.
Hospitals affiliated specifically for clinical trials participate in DF/PCC-led clinical research. A team of DF/PCC surveyors conducts periodic site visits to these affiliates to review their clinical systems and staff competencies. A traveling clinical research coordinator helps affiliates with data management. The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Quality Assurance Office for Clinical Trials provides additional oversight and has recently hired staff to support clinical trials audits at the affiliates.
The network has made it possible for hundreds of cancer patients to enroll in clinical trials. People who had difficulty participating in trials because they lived far from Boston now have access to some of the latest investigational therapies at a hospital near them. Last year, the affiliates enrolled 160 patients in DF/PCC-sponsored trials and CALGB trials combined.
"With the oversight provided by our staff, we're confident of our affiliates' ability to participate in clinical research," says Craig Bunnell, MD, of Dana-Farber's Breast Oncology program, who is leading three clinical trials involving the affiliates. "By opening our trials to patients at partnering hospitals, we've been able to meet accrual targets much more quickly than if we had involved DF/PCC alone."
DF/PCC affiliates
Affiliated hospitals for clinical care and clinical trials
- Cape Cod Heathcare, Hyannis, Mass.
- Emerson Hospital, Concord, Mass.
- Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Conn.
- Faulkner Hospital, Boston, Mass.
- Lowell-General Hospital, Lowell, Mass.
- North Shore Cancer Center, Peabody, Mass.
- St. Anne's Hospital, Fall River, Mass.
- St. Joseph Hospital, Nashua, N.H.
- South Shore Hospital, S. Weymouth, Mass.
Affiliated exclusively for clinical trials
- Middlesex Hospital, Middletown, Conn.
- Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Newton, Mass.
DFCI affiliate
- New Hampshire Oncology Hematology, Hooksett, N.H.
(Note: In addition to the affiliates listed above, DF/PCC is linked to several hospitals specifically for CALGB studies.)
