ACORI: ACCC Community Oncology Research Institute

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ACCC Community Oncology Research Institute

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. It affects people from across the country regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, and location. Yet, cancer clinical trials have failed to adequately represent the diversity of this patient population.

To help address this disparity, the ACCC Community Oncology Research Institute (ACORI) was launched in 2021. ACORI’s mission is to establish clinical trials as a standard of care in treatment plans and to help achieve equitable cancer care delivery for all patients.

 

ACORI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Community

This closed community, brought to you by ACCC and the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), is a one-stop location for multidisciplinary oncology teams to share effective practices to improve your ability to offer clinical trials in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

  • Read the latest in oncology Community News
  • Access the consolidated Resource Library for articles, links, and tools
  • Participate in peer-to-peer discussions
Visit the Community
 

ACORI Research Review Newsletter: March 2024

In this issue, learn about the unique challenges presented as younger populations are increasingly diagnosed with colorectal cancer, disparities in outcomes among underrepresented groups with multiple myeloma, AACR's inaugural 2023 conference discussion on recent advances in kidney cancer research, the innovative work of BioOncology Institute and Biocytics and their use of the Human Application Laboratory model, Flatiron's Clinical Pipe Tool and how it’s streamlining clinical trial research, initiatives aimed at improving outcomes in patients with mental illnesses and, lastly, how the Society for Social Work and Research is advancing social work research.
Read the Latest Newsletter Previous Issues

Clinical Research Terms Glossary

To help standardize understanding of baseline knowledge across cancer care teams, we’ve created this digital glossary of clinical research terms. We hope it will serve as a tool to improve patient education and encourage shared decision-making conversations.

Access the Glossary

Podcasts

  • [PODCAST] Ep 84: Increasing Clinical Trial Access for Blood Cancers
    Jun 7, 2022

    Clinical trials are the best instrument to advance treatment for blood cancers, but numerous challenges exist around trial identification, enrollment, and participation. We’ll hear perspectives from a community provider and patient advocacy organization on immediate—and forward-thinking—solutions to help this population better access clinical trials, including a tool from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help patients identify cancer clinical trials that may be a fit.

  • [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 38: Improving Community Clinical Trial Participation
    Oct 13, 2020

    Learn about the importance of reaching diverse populations with clinical trials where they live and how one clinical trial has prioritized community engagement.

ASCO-ACCC Initiative

On July 25, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) jointly released resources to help research sites increase the racial and ethnic equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in cancer clinical trials.

The Just ASK™ Training Program and Site Self-Assessment are available free-of-charge and represent a full and complementary set of resources that can help research sites address barriers to participation in cancer clinical trials among racial and ethnic populations that have been historically underrepresented.

These resources follow the May 2022 publication of the ASCO-ACCC Research Statement "Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Cancer Clinical Trials," which outlines specific actions for individual stakeholders in the cancer clinical trial ecosystem to increase diversity in research participation.

ACORI Call to Action Summit

Held September 13-14, 2021, in collaboration with Stand Up to Cancer, the ACORI Call to Action Summit: Activating Equity in Community Oncology Research has identified concrete strategies for engaging patients, caregivers, and their communities to strengthen oncology research. More than 120 people from 60 organizations generated 200+ ideas for action items to make cancer care research more diverse, equitable, and accessible.

Read Executive Summary Watch On-Demand Replay
 

ACORI's Three Primary Domains

EQUITY

We advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion with trial sponsors and regulatory agencies. ACORI will develop education and resources that promote strategies and solutions to achieve health equity, as we investigate persistent areas of disparities in cancer clinical trial participation.

CAPACITY BUILDING

ACORI utilizes ACCC know-how to build capacity and competency among community research programs to make them research-ready by democratizing knowledge, skills, and infrastructure for clinical research. We will also facilitate mentorship opportunities between established and developing research programs and convene community oncology stakeholders for peer-to-peer learning and networking.

RESEARCH DIFFUSION

ACORI is a primary resource for academic and industry sponsors that fosters relationships with trial sponsors and other research groups. The Institute vets research and trial opportunities and disseminates pertinent opportunities to interested community oncology research programs.

Through ACCC’s robust network of partnerships, ACORI will enable community oncology programs and their multidisciplinary teams to access the tools, knowledge sharing, effective practices, and peer mentorships to increase their ability to offer trials to patients.

About ACORI

In 2021, the ACCC Community Oncology Research Institute (ACORI) was established after ACCC's year-long examination of equity in and access to clinical trials in local communities under the direction of Past President Randall A. Oyer, MD. Through ACORI, ACCC is working to establish clinical trials as a standard of care for all patients, regardless of where they are treated by helping community oncology programs access the tools, knowledge sharing, effective practices, and peer mentorships that can increase their ability to offer clinical trials.

“Connecting community cancer centers through partnerships will help overcome persistent barriers that exist to conducting research in the community. By sharing resources, we can help make any community oncology program research-ready,” Dr. Oyer said.

For more information on this project, please contact the ACCC Provider Education department.

Training Program

  • An online implicit bias training program that presents the broader context of structural and systemic racism, the role of implicit bias in clinical trial selection, vignettes with real-world examples of implicit bias, and guidance for mitigating disparities in cancer research settings.

Facilitation Guide

To facilitate fruitful discussions with staff around implicit bias, this Just Ask™ Training Facilitation Guide has been developed to identify feasible action steps to support implementation of a Just Ask™ strategy in your research site or cancer program or practice.

Download Guide

From Oncology Issues

  • Welcome to ACORI
    Barbara A. Gabriel
    Under ACORI, ACCC helps community oncology programs access the tools, knowledge sharing, effective practices, and peer mentorships that can increase their ability to offer clinical trials.
  • Highlights from the ACORI Call to Action Summit
    The summit brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to explore practical ways to strengthen and diversify oncology clinical trials.

Our Supporters

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This project is supported by AstraZeneca, Merck, and Sanofi.