Lung Cancer Awareness Month | | Combining Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy in Patients with Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (NRG-LU007, “the RAPTOR Trial”) | | |
NOTE: This incredibly important trial is very close to meeting its target accrual. Please help with accruing the last 18 patients!
Discovery of major therapeutic advancements for the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has been stagnant over the past few decades, and there is a need to improve clinical outcomes for this difficult disease. The current first-line treatment for extensive stage SCLC (ES-SCLC) includes 4 cycles of carboplatin and etoposide chemotherapy followed by maintenance atezolizumab, but this standard of care tends not to eliminate gross disease. NRG-LU007 (the RAPTOR Trial) was designed to address the theory that adding radiotherapy (RT) to immunotherapy and platinum-containing chemotherapy could further improve survival outcomes for patients with ES-SCLC resulting from the interactions between the RT and immunotherapy.
| | Patient-Reported Outcome Analysis of NRG Oncology Trial in Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer Suggests Quality of Life Benefit with Twice - (vs Once -) Daily Radiation | | Previously, the primary endpoint results of the NRG-LU005 study assessing the addition of the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab to standard of care concurrent chemoradiation for limited-stage small cell lung cancer was reported at the American Society for Radiation Oncology 2024 Annual Meeting. Those results showed that adding atezolizumab did not improve overall survival (OS) for this patient population. At the same time, an exploratory analysis reported longer median OS among patients who received twice-a-day radiation, though RT schedule was not randomized. As a follow up to that study, a patient-reported outcomes (PRO) analysis explored the impact of the NRG-LU005 treatment regimens on quality of life (QOL). The results of this PRO analysis were recently reported as a late-breaking abstract at the ASTRO 2025 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. | | Highlights from the Advanced Practice Practitioner (APP) Symposium at the NRG Oncology 2025 Summer Meeting | The Advanced Practice Practitioner (APP) Symposium at the 2025 NRG Oncology Summer Meeting highlighted the evolving and increasingly vital role of advanced practice professionals in cancer clinical research. As of the most recent nationwide data (2018), there are an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) working in oncology in the United States. One Medicare study analyzing SEER data on older adults with cancer found that APPs (NPs and PAs) comprised ~56.2% of ambulatory oncology providers, compared to 27.7% physicians, and another study showed that APPs provide significantly more rural cancer care than oncologists. Inclusion of APPs in NCTN cooperative groups would open a vast untapped resource for clinical trial participation. | | |
Dr. Bruner Discusses NCORP and APPs on the NRG Oncology Podcast
| The NRG Oncology Podcast talks with NRG NCORP Principal Investigator, Deborah Bruner, PhD, RN, FAAN, about all things NCORP, the importance of reaching the community in research, and the major role Advanced Practice Providers play in helping us achieve that goal. https://NRGOncology.org/Podcast | | |
From PILOT Project to Completed Trial: NRG-CC007CD Results Convey Importance of Survivorship Care Planning for Patients with Prostate Cancer
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The results of the NRG-CC007CD examining the impact of intensified survivorship care planning on cardiovascular care for prostate cancer survivors that were treated with radiation therapy (RT) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) indicated that adherence to American Heart Association (AHA) recommended cardiovascular care remained suboptimal even with intensified survivorship care planning. This incredibly important finding highlights the urgent need for further efforts to improve care for cancer survivors. These results were recently presented during the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2025 Annual Meeting in San Francisco.
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Patient Reported Outcomes – Compliance Improvement Semi-Annual Recognition
Written by Ben Movsas, MD – PCOR Committee Chair; Ron Chen, MD – PCOR Committee Vice-Chair; Kandie Dempsey, DBA, MS, RN, OCN; & Marcie Ritter, PhD – NRG Patient Reported Outcomes Compliance Officers.
| The Patient Centered Outcomes Research Committee (PCOR), and NRG NCORP Committee congratulates the over 500 sites participating in NRG clinical trials who achieved 90% or greater compliance for Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) assessments on the report dated September 1, 2025. PROs are vital components of our NRG studies that directly reflect the patient’s voice and their quality of life! | | Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month | | |
Dr. Sanford Discusses NRG-GI011 for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer on the NRG Oncology Podcast
The NRG Oncology Podcast talks with NRG-GI011 Principal Investigator, Dr. Nina Sanford, about the recently activated study testing whether a higher dose of radiation can extend life or improve quality of life for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Listen to this episode and many more at http://NRGOncology.org/Podcast. Don’t forget to follow or subscribe!
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National Family Caregiver Awareness Month
Advocate Angle
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Advocating for Caregivers During National Family Caregiver Awareness Month
Written by Lisa Lenrow, MBA - NRG Patient Advocate Committee Vice-Chair
| | I am honored to have been selected as NRG Oncology Vice Chair of the Patient Advocacy Committee (PAC). I am compelled to volunteer for organizations whose mission I feel passionate about and advancing science and the impact of clinical trials is tremendously important to me. | | NRG Study News & New Protocols Under Development | | |
Adding Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy to Immunotherapy-Based Systemic Treatment for Advanced Liver Cancer (NRG-GI012, the “HELIO-RT” Study)
NRG Oncology recently activated a new trial in the liver cancer space. NRG-GI012, also known as the HELIO-RT study, is a phase III randomized trial assessing whether immunotherapy-based (IO-based) systemic therapy with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) can help improve survival for patients with advanced hepatocellular cancer with macrovascular invasion, compared to IO-based systemic therapy alone. This trial is currently open for patient enrollment.
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NRG Oncology Trial of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Patients with Early-Stage Oral Cavity Cancer Re-opens to Phase III (NRG-HN006)
NRG Oncology recently reactivated the NRG-HN006 trial comparing sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy to elective neck dissection (END) for patients with early-stage oral cavity cancer. This trial completed phase II accrual in December 2024 and has since met the criteria to advance to the phase III portion of the trial.
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NRG-HN014 Study Overview Interview
NRG-HN014 study Principal Investigator, Dr. Neil Gross, discusses the Phase III trial of neoadjuvant immunotherapy with response-adapted treatment versus standard-of-care treatment for resectable stage III/IV cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
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NRG-GU015 (ARCHER) Study Webinar
Save the date and register for our webinar for the NRG-GU015 “ARCHER” study assessing shorter duration radiation therapy for patients receiving chemotherapy for bladder cancer. The webinar will be held on Friday, December 12, 2025 from 1:00-2:00 PM ET (10:00-11:00 AM PT) and will be hosted by the study Principal Investigators Dr. Scott Delacroix Jr. and Dr. Himanshu Nagar.
Register here
| | New Protocols Under Development | | Protocol Support Committee (PSC) Column | | |
Good Clinical Practices: The Pillars of Protocol Compliance and Patient Safety
Written by: Erin Zielinski, MS, CCRP Director of Research Operations, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, University of Minnesota Medical School
In the world of clinical research, Good Clinical Practices (GCP) form the foundation of ethical and scientific standards. GCP ensures that clinical trials are conducted with the utmost respect for human rights, that data generated are credible, and that participants' safety and well-being are prioritized. Adhering to GCP covers many research activities; here we will explore the importance as it relates to as adverse event (AE) reporting and collection data regarding of concomitant medications
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PSC's First Two CLASS e-Learning Modules are Available
It’s here! NRG Oncology Protocol Support Committee’s first two interactive e-learning modules, Adverse Event Reporting and Quality Assurance Audits, are now live on CLASS. Dive in, test your knowledge, or get ready to learn! Catalog | CLASS (Compliance, Learning, and SOP Solutions). Instructions for using CLASS can be found on the NRG website.
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FORTE Study Updates - November 2025
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FORTE Site Call – November 12, 2025 – PRO Compliance
Join the quarterly FORTE site calls to hear updates on NRG-CC005 and discuss challenges and solutions with other research professionals working to enroll patients to this clinical trial. Registration for these virtual sessions are in these monthly FORTE Fridays broadcasts. The next FORTE Site Call will be on November 12, where NRG Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) Compliance Officers – Marcie Ritter and Kandie Dempsey – will present on compliance.
| | REVISED Publications Policy and Guidelines | | |
The NRG Oncology Publication Policy and Guidelines have been revised and a new version is posted here on our website. Major updates include:
- Alignment with the NIH Public Access Requirements that became effective July 1, 2025
- Implementation of a mandatory manuscript planning process for primary endpoint result reporting.
- Requirements for NRG Oncology endorsement for treatment atlases, white papers and review papers.
- Authorship agreements encouraged pre-activation for studies with complex development processes (i.e., collaborations between multiple committees or organizations)
- Approval process for co-first/last authorships clarified.
- Reassignment of authorship if timelines are not met is emphasized.
- A collaborating author group may be added to primary endpoint manuscript author lines to recognize contributors from high-accruing institutions, per journal guidelines.
- Preprinting of non-final manuscripts in non-peer-reviewed repositories is prohibited without committee approval.
- Biobank personnel with significant contributions should be considered for authorship.
Publications with Ancillary, Translational Science, and Physics Analyses may provide authorship for current applicable committee chairs managing major accrual or research work.
| | The NRG Oncology Podcast | | |
Our podcast continued to grow! Be sure to find us at www.NRGOncology.org/Podcast as well as Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and YouTube. Give us a follow or subscribe to listen to new episodes as they air!
Most Recent Episode:
| | NRG Oncology Adds New Leadership Members to Ancillary Projects, Brain Tumor, Breast Cancer, and Patient Advocate Committees | | NRG Oncology (NRG), a National Cancer Institute (NCI) National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) group focused on improving outcomes for adults with cancer through multi-center clinical research, recently announced changes in leadership across multiple committees. Read the press release here | | The NRG Oncology 2026 Winter Meeting | |
Registration is Now OPEN!
The 2026 NRG Oncology Winter Meeting will be held January 22-24, 2025 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco, California. Select virtual sessions will take place January 12-16th and January 20, 2026. Registration recently opened! Learn more and register on our meeting webpages.
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