The Next Era of SWOG Success

In our vision, SWOG’s next era of success grows from our current one. We’ll continue the group’s exemplary work as an NCTN leader in precision medicine, in the innovative study of rare cancers, and in so much more, including in pragmatic, highly efficient trials. 

Going forward, we want to build on this last item in particular, devoting a greater share of SWOG’s research portfolio to large pragmatic trials that are high impact but easier for sites to conduct and enroll to. 

SWOG set the bar for these, of course, with S2302 Pragmatica-Lung. We want to do more of them, and to broadly apply the lessons learned.

We envision trials that are more streamlined and decentralized, with reduced data collection and more opportunities for patients to be tested and treated at their local community site. This last feature will help us ensure our studies have maximum reach and optimal representation of patient populations.

Also to this end, we’ll work to even more fully integrate the voices of members at community-based sites and the voices of patient advocates at every step along the way as we plan, develop, and conduct trials and work to disseminate their results.

Our rebalancing of the research portfolio will mean opening fewer trials that involve investigational new drugs (INDs) and fewer single-arm phase 2 and phase 1 studies.

But it will also allow us to conduct more of the kinds of phase 3 trials that only cooperative groups can do – such as trials testing therapies that combine multiple treatment modalities, comparative effectiveness trials that let us define what optimal oncologic care is, and de-escalation trials that can make treatment easier for patients without sacrificing efficacy.

In short, we want to focus even more intensively on studies that tackle the vital questions only public-powered research will answer. These are what we do best.

To hear more about our vision for the next era of SWOG success, come to the spring meeting’s plenary session. You’ll meet our full leadership team and will be able to take part in an open conversation with us about the future of your group.

We’ve planned the latter part of plenary as an interactive town hall-style forum devoted to a dialogue between SWOG members and our incoming leadership team. You are invited.

The session is 2 – 4 pm PT, Friday, May 1, at the San Francisco Hyatt Regency.

If you can’t make it in person, you can join the dialogue virtually from wherever you are. Register now. And bring your questions, concerns, and ideas for the next era of SWOG success.