As an oncologist in private practice who is keenly interested in research, the benefits of a statewide clinical trials network are obvious to me. Clinical trials offer incomparable treatment options for cancer patients while providing a scientific framework from which clinicians and scientists can assess the most efficacious treatment options for various types of cancer. These are daunting challenges – more than any one physician, practice or medical school can assume – therefore, a network of colleagues working together, exchanging data and sharing ideas is imperative.

I derive great satisfaction from my involvement with Georgia CORE just as I do in caring for cancer patients. My colleagues who serve on the Georgia CORE’s Board, committees and as members of the research network are no different. Each brings extraordinary intellect, commitment and compassion to this work. The physicians and health care professionals who dedicate their lives to designing programs, studies and strategies to expand clinical cancer research across the state of Georgia are making a decided impact on the quality of cancer care and the availability of clinical trials.

Please join with Georgia CORE in our quest to strengthen quality through the provision of research. You are invited to attend educational programs, use the clinical trials database, offer personal testimonials and insights. Qualified investigators for clinical trials are always in high demand and we encourage you to join our research network.

In the coming year Georgia CORE will sponsor and promote numerous clinical trials, introduce leading edge IT applications to reduce time and effort for research management, and host educational programs and symposia which determine Georgia’s cancer research priorities. I look to working with you on these and other important endeavors.

Sincerely,

Frederick M. Schnell, MD, FACP
Chairman