Cancer care mein naye treatments develop hona important hai, lekin patients tak existing, evidence-based treatments ka sahi tarah pahunchna bhi utna hi zaroori hai. Isi gap ko address karne ke liye the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Oncology Research Program (ORP) ne metastatic prostate cancer (mPCA) care ko improve karne ke liye four new quality improvement research projects ko funding award ki hai.
The announcement was made by NCCN on September 14, 2026, with funding and project oversight provided by Pfizer Global Medical Grants.
Why Quality Improvement Matters in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Metastatic prostate cancer is a complex condition that often requires multiple treatment decisions, diagnostic tests, and ongoing care. While several life-prolonging therapies are available, not every eligible patient necessarily receives the full range of appropriate care.
According to NCCN, several factors can contribute to this treatment gap.
Healthcare access disparities can make it harder for some patients to reach advanced cancer care because of differences in geography, insurance coverage, or healthcare infrastructure.
There can also be variability in care delivery. Different healthcare institutions may follow different processes for testing, treatment decisions, and patient support, which can lead to inconsistencies in care.
Another challenge is limited support systems. Patients dealing with metastatic cancer may need help with financial, psychological, and logistical issues while navigating complex treatment options.
Access to clinical trials is another important concern. When eligible patients cannot easily participate in clinical research, they may miss opportunities to access emerging treatment approaches while also contributing to future cancer research.
Four Research Projects Selected by NCCN
To address some of these challenges, NCCN has selected four quality improvement initiatives. Each project focuses on a different part of metastatic prostate cancer care.
1. Improving Biomarker Testing and Follow-Up
Changchuan (Charles) Jiang, MD, from UT Southwestern Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, will lead a project titled:
“Closing the Biomarker Action Loop in Metastatic Prostate Cancer at a Major U.S. Safety-Net Cancer Program.”
The project focuses on improving the process around biomarker information in metastatic prostate cancer.
The goal is not simply to perform testing, but to help ensure that relevant biomarker results are appropriately connected to clinical decision-making and patient care.
2. Improving Care Across the MedStar Health Network
Paul Leger, MD, from Georgetown University, will lead:
“Multilevel Interventions to Improve the CARE of Patients with Advanced Prostate CAncer in the Medstar Health Network (I-CARE PCA).”
This initiative takes a broader approach by examining how different levels of the healthcare system can work together to improve care for people with advanced prostate cancer.
The focus on multilevel interventions reflects the fact that improving cancer care often requires more than changing one clinical practice. Healthcare systems, providers, and patients may all play a role in improving the overall care pathway.
3. Reducing Medication Burden
Michael Liu, MD, MPH, from Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, will lead the:
“Improvement Initiative to Reduce Polypharmacy Burden and Improve Treatment Tolerability in Metastatic Prostate Cancer (PROMIS-Rx).”
This project addresses polypharmacy, or the use of multiple medications, and its potential impact on treatment tolerability.
For patients receiving complex cancer care, managing multiple medicines can become challenging. Improving medication management may help healthcare providers identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary medication burden while supporting treatment tolerability.
4. Strengthening Molecular Testing for Patients With Bone Metastases
The fourth project will be led by Kosj Yamoah, MD, PhD, from Moffitt Cancer Center.
Its title is:
“Molecular Readiness at the Time of Bone Radiotherapy: A Closed-Loop Quality Improvement Pathway for Germline, Somatic, and Reflex ctDNA Testing in Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis.”
This initiative focuses on molecular testing for prostate cancer patients with bone metastases, including germline, somatic, and reflex circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing.
The project aims to create a closed-loop quality improvement pathway so that molecular information can be more effectively incorporated into the patient's care process.
A Focus on More Equitable Cancer Care
One of the common themes across the four projects is the effort to make high-quality cancer care more consistent and accessible.
NCCN says the selected initiatives are intended to support better quality of life and outcomes, improve equitable access to evidence-based care, standardize testing and diagnostic practices, strengthen clinical decision-making, and potentially increase participation in clinical trials.
This is particularly important in metastatic prostate cancer, where treatment decisions can involve multiple factors and may change as the disease progresses.
NCCN Emphasizes Collaboration and Long-Term Impact
Commenting on the awards, Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer of NCCN, emphasized the importance of collaboration in making evidence-based, guideline-concordant care accessible across the cancer care spectrum.
NCCN also highlighted that the projects are being designed with scalability and sustainability in mind. Rather than focusing only on short-term improvements at individual institutions, the aim is to develop approaches that could potentially provide longer-term benefits.
The four selected projects are expected to be completed within two years.
What These Projects Could Mean for mPCA Care
The significance of these initiatives goes beyond the individual research projects.
Quality improvement research can help identify where gaps exist between recommended cancer care and what patients actually receive. It can then test practical ways to close those gaps.
For metastatic prostate cancer, that could mean improving biomarker testing, making care processes more consistent, managing medication burden more effectively, or ensuring molecular testing happens at an appropriate point in the treatment pathway.
If these approaches prove effective, they could provide useful models for improving care across other cancer centers and healthcare systems.
The Bigger Picture
The NCCN Oncology Research Program supports research and quality improvement projects at NCCN Member Institutions. Its work covers areas including preclinical, translational, clinical research, and quality improvement in oncology.
The latest funding announcement highlights an important part of modern cancer care: developing better treatments is only one piece of the puzzle. Making sure patients can access appropriate testing, treatment, support, and clinical research opportunities is equally important.
By supporting these four projects, NCCN and its research partners are focusing on practical changes that could help make metastatic prostate cancer care more consistent, evidence-based, and equitable.
FAQs
NCCN announced funding for four quality improvement research projects focused on improving care for people with metastatic prostate cancer (mPCA).
The projects are funded and overseen through Pfizer Global Medical Grants (GMG).
NCCN selected four quality improvement initiatives covering areas such as biomarker testing, care delivery, medication management, and molecular testing.
The projects aim to improve evidence-based care, standardize testing, strengthen clinical decision-making, improve treatment tolerability, and expand equitable access to appropriate cancer care.
The selected researchers are Changchuan (Charles) Jiang, MD; Paul Leger, MD; Michael Liu, MD, MPH; and Kosj Yamoah, MD, PhD.
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