Our Mission

Our goal is to study new and more effective ways to deliver treatments to minority populations, making sure that patients of all races receive the very best our medical system has to offer.

The NCORP program was designed to:

  • Make sure minorities are well represented in any future medical studies so we understand how new treatments and technologies work for these population
  • Reduce the risk of developing cancer among minorities
  • Study screening methods and their effectiveness in reducing cancer in these groups
  • Improve outcomes after treatment
  • Expand access to cancer care
  • Increase quality of care
  • Improve our patients’ quality of life
  • Evaluate new methods of diagnosis and treatment

Our studies explore:

  • How cancer develops
  • Ways to reduce side effects of treatments
  • Monitoring patients after treatment
  • Identifying biomarkers, substances in the blood which may indicate the likelihood of a recurrence
  • Treatment of precancerous conditions
  • Potential over-diagnosis and over-treatment of certain cancers

NCORP also looks at how minorities receive health care, considering social factors (community perceptions, family and support groups), medical costs, organizational structures, and the relationship between healthcare provider and the patient.

The MU-NCORP at CUIMC works closely with the Community & Ambulatory Research & Enrollment (CARE) Shared Resource, which was created to ensure that cancer research at HICCC represents our entire community. CARE provides dedicated recruitment and community education as well as additional services throughout the continuum of cancer prevention (including etiology, screening and survivorship). These services enhance the quality and effectiveness of cancer prevention research conducted at HICCC and CUIMC by helping to ensure diversity in study participation. CARE strives to eliminate barriers to participation in clinical trials such as access, language, culture, literacy and distrust.

Learn More About Our Clinical Trials


More information on the NCI NCORP can be found at the following websites: