September 15, 2021
The National Cancer Institute increased its annual Community Oncology Research Program grant allocation to The University of Kansas Cancer Center, raising the original award amount by more than $300,000. KU Cancer Center is in its third year as a designated site of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP).
In 2019, The University of Kansas Cancer Center and its outreach network partner, Masonic Cancer Alliance, were awarded a grant to expand the reach of cancer clinical trials to Kansas’ rural communities. The six-year grant designates the team as a minority/underserved (MU) community NCORP site. Of the 14 NCORP sites in the U.S., the cancer center team is the only site that focuses on rural communities. The six-year grant cycle ends in 2025.
Exceeding clinical trial accrual goals contributed to the boost in funding. In 2020, the cancer center team surpassed clinical trial accrual goals by more than 22 percent.
“As an NCORP site, more patients in our catchment area have the option to take part in innovative clinical trials,” said Hope Krebill, executive director of the Masonic Cancer Alliance. “The additional funding allows us to offer more clinical trials to people living in our catchment area.”