SWOG Cancer Research Network and The Hope Foundation for Cancer Research have announced the launch of the Dr. Charles D. Blanke Veterans Access to Cancer Trials Initiative, an effort dedicated to expanding access to cancer clinical trials for U.S. military veterans. The initiative formalizes and builds upon more than a decade of collaborative work to strengthen Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) participation in the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) and NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP).
For veterans diagnosed with cancer, clinical trials can mean access to the most advanced therapies available – treatments that may not yet be available outside of a research setting. Yet for years, many VAMCs lacked the infrastructure and resources needed to participate in NCI-supported cooperative group trials, leaving a critical gap in care for those who have served our country.
The Blanke Veterans Access to Cancer Trials Initiative directly addresses that gap through three core elements:
- VA Storefront Award. Supporting member VAMCs in forming regional networks, using a hub-and-spoke model, within the NCTN to expand trial access at VA facilities
- Travel Grants for VA Members. Enabling VAMC staff to attend SWOG meetings each spring and fall, strengthening connections across the research network
- Annual VA Think Tank. Convening VA leaders alongside SWOG’s Veterans Affairs Committee to share best practices, address barriers, and foster innovation in oncology research
This new initiative expands upon a foundation of demonstrated results. In one of his first acts as SWOG group chair in 2013, Dr. Charles D. Blanke organized a VA working group to reengage VAMCs with the cooperative group network. Partnering with The Hope Foundation, the group created grants to help VA facilities cover the administrative costs of opening and enrolling patients in NCTN clinical trials – a practical barrier that had long kept many centers on the sidelines. That effort helped catalyze broader federal investment: the NCI and Veterans Administration subsequently launched the NAVIGATE program (NCI and VA Interagency Group to Accelerate Trials Enrollment) to facilitate veteran enrollment in NCI-funded trials. From just a handful of veteran enrollments in 2012, annual VAMC participation in NCI-supported trials has grown to more than 300 in recent years.
The initiative is named in honor of Capt. (USAF ret.) Charles D. Blanke, MD, whose service to both his country and the field of oncology shaped his lifelong commitment to ensuring that all patients can access the benefits of cancer clinical research. Dr. Blanke’s leadership as SWOG group chair and his sustained advocacy for underserved patient populations made him a transformative figure in cooperative group research.
The Blanke Veterans Access to Cancer Trials Initiative represents a shared commitment between SWOG and The Hope Foundation to sustain and expand the progress achieved over the past decade, ensuring that veterans with cance.r have meaningful access to the clinical trials that can offer them the most promising treatment options available.
SWOG Cancer Research Network is part of the National Cancer Institute's National Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program. SWOG has more than 20,000 members in 46 states and seven other countries who design and conduct clinical trials and translational research to improve the lives of people with cancer. SWOG trials have led to the approval of 15 cancer drug regimens, changed more than 100 standards of cancer care, and saved more than 3 million years of human life. Learn more at swog.org.
The Hope Foundation for Cancer Research is the non-profit charitable arm of SWOG Cancer Research Network. Founded in 1993 to support network members and their work, The Hope Foundation funds clinical and translational research, fellowships, training events, physician education, and patient advocacy. Learn more at thehopefoundation.org.