By Merin C. MacDonald | Date published: October 28, 2024
November Focus: Cancer Research Office Excels in Full-Service Clinical Trial Support
The Cancer Research Office (CRO), formally established in 2001, is a core service at UMass Chan Medical School supported by the Department of Medicine. The CRO provides essential infrastructure and operational support for the majority of adult cancer clinical trials across the institution. Their team is currently working with over 40 faculty investigators from the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Gynecologic Oncology, Surgical Oncology, and Radiation Oncology, and manages about 130 protocols for more than 25 different diseases. “The CRO acts as a single point of contact for UMass Cancer Center investigators,” said Cara Gregoire, RN, BSN, MHA, director of clinical trial operations in the CRO. “Our goal is to support them through each step of the clinical trial process from feasibility, startup, and regulatory approvals to protocol training, study visit coordination, compliance, and patient follow-up.” In addition to working with physician-investigators, the CRO collaborates closely with Cancer Center clinic and infusion staff, Investigational Drug Services, Nuclear Medicine, Pathology, and Radiology—all critically important partners in taking care of patients with cancer whether they are participating in a trial or not.
Staffed with a team of six nurses, eight clinical research coordinators, and two dedicated regulatory staff, the CRO is deeply committed to patient care and collaborating with physician-investigators in support of their research. Cara highlighted the vital role each team member plays in the overall success of the team. “We work hard to build trusted relationships with both investigators and patients,” she said. “A cancer diagnosis or recurrence can be a life-changing event. We feel privileged to be part of their treatment journey; we understand the importance of this role.” She emphasized that a major aspect of their work is to ensure that patients feel safe and supported throughout the trial and that the relationships they build with patients often extend after the active trial period concludes. “We see them in the clinics, stop and give hugs, and sometimes they and their families will reach out to us even after their trial treatment is done,” said Cara.
Highlighting the importance of clinical trials for cancer patients, Cara emphasized that clinical trials are valuable for all patients, regardless of their stage or type of cancer. "Some of the latest and most novel therapies are only available through clinical trials. Cancer research is essential for advancing improved treatments," she explained. Additionally, for some patients, clinical trials offer an alternative treatment when other choices are limited. "We take great satisfaction in supporting the work that brings these options to patients”
Cara joined the Cancer Research Office eleven years ago and has seen exciting growth for the team, especially over the last 5 years. She takes pride in the dedication and commitment of the CRO, noting that many staff members have been with the office for more than five years—a rarity in the clinical research profession, according to her. She attributes this to the strong team environment in the office and the incredible support they receive from physician-investigators. The CRO also recently received the honor of being recognized with Outstanding Accommodation Overall by the National Cancer Institute’s ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group for the sixth year in a row. This designation is the result of a blinded site review that looked at data, quality, enrollment, and regulatory adherence, among other metrics. “This recognition is an affirmation of the quality of our team’s work,” said Cara. She concluded by sharing that the team are some of the most dedicated but humble individuals. “They stay late, they show up early in the morning, they cover and take calls during the weekend, and they don’t do it because they are asked. They do it because the work is important and needs to be done in service to our patients,” she said. “This team works so hard and I can’t say enough about how great they are.”
If you are an investigator interested in learning more or working with the Cancer Research Office, please visit their website for more information: www.umassmed.edu/cro
If you are a patient interested in learning more about current cancer clinical trials at UMass, please visit: https://www.umassmed.edu/cancer-center/research/clinical-research-and-trials/
The Cancer Research Office is led by William Walsh, MD, medical director of the CRO and associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Jan Cerny, MD, PhD, associate director of the CRO and associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Cara Gregoire, RN, BSN, MHA, director of clinical trial operations in the CRO.