Cutting-Edge Clinical Trial Access
ILLINOIS CANCERCARE – BRINGS CUTTING-EDGE CLINICAL TRIAL ACCESS CLOSE TO HOME – 45+ years of Research
Since 2014, Illinois CancerCare has proudly participated in the Heartland National Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), and through our recent partnership with Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI), we’re expanding our research capabilities even further—bringing a wider range of clinical trials to our communities.
Through our dual partnerships with Sarah Cannon Research Institute ( SCRI ) and Heartland National Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), Illinois CancerCare is uniquely positioned to offer patients access to a broad spectrum of cutting-edge clinical trials—ranging from early-phase pharmaceutical studies to NCI-funded cancer control and delivery research—all right here in our community.
Heartland NCORP (National Community Oncology Research Program) is a collaborative network focused on bringing high-quality cancer clinical trials to community settings across the Midwest. It was formed in 2014 through the partnership of three Community Clinical Oncology Programs (CCOPs):
- Illinois CancerCare CCOP (Peoria, IL)
- Missouri Baptist Medical Center CCOP – St. Louis, MO
- Decatur Memorial Hospital CCOP (Decatur and Springfield, IL)
The program is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and is designed to:
- Deliver NCI-approved cancer treatment, prevention, screening, and control trials.
- Conduct Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR).
- Provide access to cutting-edge research for patients in rural and urban communities across Illinois, Missouri, and parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
- Support community-based research so patients can stay close to their families and local care teams while participating in clinical trials.
Heartland NCORP is one of the largest programs of its kind in the U.S., enrolling hundreds of patients annually and contributing significantly to national cancer research efforts. Due to NCI research funding cuts, The Illinois CancerCare Foundation, helps fill the funding gap – ensuring local patients do not lose access to clinical trials.
Illinois CancerCare’s recent partnership with the Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) expands access to cutting-edge pharmaceutical studies in addition to the NCORP NCI clinical trials across Central and Western Illinois. This collaboration allows Illinois CancerCare to partner with one of the world’s leading oncology research organizations known for conducting community-based clinical trials.
- Expanded Clinical Trial Access: Patients in Central Illinois can now participate in a broader range of trials
- FDA-Backed Innovation: SCRI has contributed to pivotal research behind many of the cancer therapies approved by the FDA in the past decade.
- Community-Based Research: The partnership ensures patients can access advanced treatments close to home, without needing to travel to academic centers.
- Enhanced Trial Matching: SCRI’s infrastructure supports personalized trial matching based on clinical and genomic data, improving patient outcomes.
These partnerships reinforce Illinois CancerCare’ s commitment to research as a core value and enables the organization to stay at the forefront of cancer treatment innovation. With over 13,000 patients enrolled in trials over 40+ years, Illinois CancerCare continues to lead in offering hope through science and compassionate care.
