Fairfax, Va., May 28, 2013 The Radiation Oncology Institute (ROI) is seeking proposals to examine the comparative value of radiation therapy and will provide support for the research project in the amount of $200,000 over two years. A Letter of Intent is due to ROI by Friday, June 21, 2013, with the full project proposal due on Friday, September 20, 2013. Detailed information about the Request for Proposal (RFP) and the grant application process is available at www.roinstitute.org.
Possible broad topic areas suggested, though not exclusive of others, are: 1) Assessing health-related quality of life and utilities (e.g., preferences for health states) for loco-regional control and function preservation in prevalent disease sites, such as after definitive radiotherapy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer, after breast conservation for breast cancer, after definitive treatment for prostate cancer and others; 2) Analysis of productivity loss for patients and their caregivers associated with alternative approaches to definitive cancer care (radiotherapy vs. surgical, systemic or other approaches) using prospective designs or retrospective administrative datasets; 3) Evaluating the comparative and/or cost effectiveness of definitive radiation therapy modalities compared to surgical or other definitive approaches; and 4) Reviewing the comparative and/or cost effectiveness or comparative productivity gains associated with adjuvant radiation therapy compared to other adjuvant approaches (chemotherapy or biologics).
³We look forward to funding an exciting project that will detail the effectiveness of radiation therapies techniques, modalities, cost, quality of life and/or patient survival,² said ROI President Theodore Lawrence, MD, PhD, FASTRO. ³ROI is committed to supporting research and education that enhances and confirms the critical role of radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer.²
Together, the ROI, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) seek evidence to demonstrate value of technologies and interventions in radiation oncology. All ROI research initiatives stem from the prioritized National Research Agenda, which was developed during the ROI¹s formative years to identify areas of need and the importance of research to demonstrate the significant medical expertise and value that radiation oncology brings to cancer care throughout the world.
ABOUT ROI
The Radiation Oncology Institute (ROI) is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3) foundation created in 2006 by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Board of Directors to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. ROI strategically funds research on new and existing radiation therapy treatments to identify links between best practices and improved outcomes, to evaluate the efficacy and cost-benefit of radiation therapy and to foster multi-institutional research in radiation oncology. The ROI recently launched the National Radiation Oncology Registry (NROR) pilot program to collect standardized information about patient care to help inform quality improvement initiatives and provide meaningful benchmarks for the radiation oncology field. For more information, visit www.roinstitute.org