SWOG

SWOG is a cancer research cooperative group that designs and conducts multidisciplinary clinical trials to improve the practice of medicine in preventing, detecting, and treating cancer, and to enhance the quality of life for cancer survivors. The primary goal of SWOG is to change medical practice so it improves the lives of people with cancer. SWOG trials test new ways to prevent and treat cancer, as well as new ways to improve the quality of life for people both during and after treatment.

History

SWOG was established in 1956 by Dr. Charles A. Coltman Jr., a medical oncologist. The group was initially known as the Southwest Oncology Group, reflecting its origins in the southwestern United States. Over time, the group expanded to include sites all over the United States and in other countries, and the name was shortened to SWOG.

Research

SWOG conducts clinical trials in a variety of cancer types, including lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, and many others. The group's research is organized into committees, each focused on a specific type of cancer or a specific aspect of cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery.

Funding

SWOG is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The group is one of the NCI's National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) groups, which are key to the NCI's efforts to improve cancer treatment through clinical trials.

Impact

SWOG research has led to the approval of 14 cancer drugs, changed more than 100 standards of cancer care, and saved more than 3 million years of human life. The group's trials have led to the discovery of lifesaving treatments for many types of cancer, and have provided important scientific knowledge about how cancer develops and progresses.

See also

• Cancer research
• Clinical trials
• National Cancer Institute
• National Institutes of Health

References

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• SWOG Logo
  SWOG Logo