Community-Site Members Enrich SWOG!
S1914, a SWOG/NRG joint trial that evaluated the addition of atezolizumab to standard stereotactic body radiation therapy in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, was recently published in The Lancet. The trial closed after the first interim analysis, and the paper reports that the addition of atezolizumab did not improve overall survival, though it did increase the rate of grade 3 or higher adverse events.
This Lancet paper includes a number of co-authors who are based not at academic medical centers or NCI-designated cancer centers, but at community practice sites – the kind of sites where most Americans diagnosed with cancer receive their cancer care.
These S1914 community-based co-authors are
- Dr. Daniel Almquist, Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center, Fargo, ND
- Dr. Paul Hesketh, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MA
- Dr. Kimberly Ku, Illinois CancerCare, Peoria, IL
- Dr. Nguyet Le-Lindquister, Illinois CancerCare, Peoria, IL
- Dr. Garrett Sherwood, Novant Health Cancer Institute, Charlotte, NC
These five are representative of many, for virtually all publications reporting primary results of a SWOG trial include community-based practitioners among the co-authors.
These can be physicians, advanced practice providers, or other oncology research professionals who have worked hard to enroll patients to the study. They may also include a trial’s community oncology co-chair, a role that contributes a community practice perspective to the design and execution of a trial, typically from its earliest concept stages (Dr. Hesketh holds this position with S1914).
Among the dozen papers published in 2025 or 2026 reporting primary results of a SWOG trial (some of which we’ve highlighted in this space), all have included among their authors SWOG members based at NCORPs or other community practice sites – more than 50 community co-authors in total.
In fact, for a number of these publications – S1600, S1904, S1714, and S1929 – the lead author (and study chair) is also based at an NCORP or other community site.
Beyond primary results manuscripts, community-based practitioners also contribute to and co-author papers across the full spectrum of SWOG research publications, including reports on secondary objectives, translational medicine studies, database analyses, and more.
In 2025 and 2026, the author lists on well over one-half of all SWOG publications have featured members from community-based sites.
Assembling our recent NCORP Research Base grant renewal application gave us an opportunity to count up community-based co-authors over an even longer term: from 2019 through 2025, 215 SWOG members based at NCORP sites were represented in authorship on 272 NCORP manuscripts and abstracts.
Note that these 2019 – 2025 figures simply set a lower bound for community member contributions to SWOG publications, as they don’t tally authors from community-based practices not allied with NCORPs.
Almost by definition, only a fraction of contributing SWOG members – community-based or otherwise – can be credited as co-authors on any publication of SWOG study results. But a publication can acknowledge important contributions in other ways as well.
To better recognize the value of every enrollment to a trial, SWOG is moving to include acknowledgement supplements with future results manuscripts, listing the names of all investigators and member sites that have enrolled to the study. For a typical trial, roughly one-half of these sites will be community-based practices.
Community-practice sites are essential to everything SWOG does as a research organization. We want to ensure the value of members at these sites is consistently recognized and that our profound appreciation for their contributions is always apparent.
Leaders Wanted
SWOG has top leadership openings in three research committees. We're looking for accomplished, dynamic investigators to provide scientific and strategic leadership as chair or co-chair for each of these committees:
Successful candidates will bring nationally recognized expertise, a strong record of clinical and translational research, and the leadership skills necessary to guide a vibrant, multidisciplinary community of investigators within a leading NCTN/NCORP research group.
To learn more about these opportunities, follow the links above or visit our Careers page.
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