Who enrolls onto clinical oncology trials? A radiation Patterns Of Care Study analysis.

Purpose: To identify factors significantly influencing accrual to clinical protocols by analyzing radiation Patterns of Care Study (PCS) surveys of 3,047 randomly selected radiotherapy (RT) patients.

Methods And Materials: Patterns of Care Study surveys from disease sites studied for the periods 1992-1994 and 1996-1999 (breast cancer, n = 1,080; prostate cancer, n = 1,149; esophageal cancer, n = 818) were analyzed. The PCS is a National Cancer Institute-funded national survey of randomly selected RT institutions in the United States.

A phase II study of concurrent carboplatin and paclitaxel and thoracic radiotherapy for completely resected stage II and IIIA non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: To determine the feasibility of combining concurrent carboplatin/paclitaxel and thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) for completely resected stage II and IIIA non-small cell lung cancer.

Methods: Eligibility stipulated gross total resections with involved lymph nodes (N1 or N2), pathologic stage II or IIIA non-small cell lung cancer. TRT consisted of 50.

Phase II trial of preoperative chemoradiation with a hyperfractionated radiation boost in locally advanced rectal cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this phase II study was to prospectively determine the efficacy of preoperative chemoradiation with a hyperfractionated (Hfx) RT boost to 61.8 Gy in locally advanced rectal cancer.

Methods: Eligibility stipulated that the primary lesion had to be either T4; or T3 and >4 cm or 40% of the bowel circumference.

Outcome results of the 1996-1999 patterns of care survey of the national practice for patients receiving radiation therapy for carcinoma of the esophagus.

Purpose: A Patterns of Care Study of patients treated from 1996 to 1999 evaluated the national practice for patients receiving radiation therapy for carcinoma of the esophagus in the United States.

Methods: A national survey was conducted at 59 institutions in a stratified random sample selected from a master list of radiation therapy facilities throughout the United States. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics were evaluated.