NIH and VA Partner to Better Include Veterans in Cancer Clinical Trials

By Kerri Fitzgerald - Last Updated: July 11, 2018

The National Institutes of Health and Veterans Affairs (VA) collaborated to create the NAVIGATE program, which is launching at 12 VA facilities to enhance veteran participation in the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) clinical trials. NCI will provide infrastructure funding support to allow veterans with cancer to more locally receive novel treatments, and the VA will manage organizational and operational activities within its national healthcare system. 

Advertisement

NAVIGATE will also increase the participation of VA investigators in clinical cancer research and allow researchers to identify studies that may be of particular importance to veterans with cancer. The program will be jointly managed for up to 3 years, after which time the participating VA sites are expected to have established long-term capabilities to continue participation in NCI trials. 

“[The] VA and veterans will be contributing to important oncology research,” said VA Chief Research and Development Officer Rachel Ramoni, DMD, ScD. “This will not only help our veterans, but also advance cancer care for all Americans, and people around the world.” 

Source: NIH

Advertisement