Penn Web Site to Facilitate Participation in Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trials

The University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center's web site, OncoLink, has been named by the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (NCCRA) to serve as its clinical trials resource center to facilitate increased participation in colorectal cancer clinical trials.

"We have made significant gains in understanding the science of colorectal cancer in recent years," said Dr. John Glick, Director of the Cancer Center. "This initiative with the NCCRA will speed up the process of discovering new ways to prevent and treat this potentially devastating form of cancer by making it easy for interested individuals and families to enter scientifically important clinical trials."

OncoLink and the NCCRA are preparing to launch a yearlong national effort to fight colorectal cancer.

"Our hope is to advance leading-edge research and reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer," said Katie Couric, co-founder of NCCRA. "As a leading cancer information web site, OncoLink is the perfect partner. We've been tremendously impressed with what OncoLink has been able to do and we are fortunate to have a senior scientist from the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center on the NCCRA's eight-person medical advisory board."

NCCRA clinical trials will initially focus on the susceptibility of families to colorectal cancer and on studies that test the effectiveness of agents in preventing the disease.

Other sources: University of Pennsylvania