About COG

Despite the fact that the overall cure rate for cancer in the pediatric age group approaches 80%, cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease in children and a significant proportion of successfully treated and cured patients exhibit life-altering and life-threatening toxicities due to current approaches to therapy. Although significant improvements in survival have been observed as a result of multi-center cooperative group studies, much work remains to be done. The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) recognizes the importance clinical research and of correlative biology investigations which have the potential to translate into new approaches to treatment.

Children’s Oncology Group resulted from the unification of four legacy pediatric cancer clinical trials groups. It is comprised of over 200 institutional members representing every recognized pediatric cancer program in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand with study sites in Mexico, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. It has international clinical trial collaborations in Europe, Latin America, Israel, and India. Its individual, multi-disciplinary membership numbers approximate 5,000. Given its geographic scope, it seized an unprecedented opportunity to develop a near population-based North American childhood cancer registry (which has been successfully piloted). Its planned Group-wide implementation will facilitate continued long-term follow-up and late-effect studies as well as aid in the prospective and retrospective evaluation of subjects of interest in the correlation of environmental exposure(s) with specific genetic aberrations to provide further understanding of the causation of pediatric cancers and ultimately provide strategies for prevention.

The COG is supported in large part by a cooperative agreement from the National Cancer Institute and numerous federal grant funding instruments through the DHHS, DoE, CDC, and DoD, as well as, non-federal grants and contracts and private philanthropy through its non-profit foundation, the National Childhood Cancer Foundation. Its annual operating budget is approximately $50M.

The mission of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) is to cure and prevent childhood and adolescent cancer through scientific discovery and compassionate care. To accomplish this mission, the Children’s Oncology Group:

• designs and conducts clinical trials to define optimal therapy for children and adolescents with cancer. Currently, COG has more than 110 Phase I, II, and III active clinical trials which enroll approximately 5,000 patients annually, with > 70,000 patients in active follow up.

• conducts laboratory research which will translate into more effective treatments with reduced short- and long-term side effects.

• seeks to identify causes of childhood cancer with an ultimate goal of developing prevention strategies.

• conducts research to improve quality of life and survivorship.

• seeks international partnerships, when necessary, to fulfill its mission.

Updated November 2009