VISION
The vision of the Hoosier Oncology Group is to form unparalleled relationships between community and academic partners to advance cancer research, education, and patient advocacy.
MISSION STATEMENT
To reduce the burden of cancer through the conduct of high quality research and education, as guided by the collaborative efforts of the IU Simon Cancer Center, academic physician scientists, community cancer investigators, and patient advocates.
BACKGROUND
The Hoosier Oncology Group, Inc. (affectionately nicknamed "the HOG") consists of a working association of over 400 dedicated community and research center physicians and clinical research practitioners. The HOG is committed to improving therapy for cancer patients through clinical research throughout its network.
The HOG enables oncologists to participate in meaningful cancer research while providing treatment to patients in their own communities. Currently, only 5% of cancer patients participate in clinical trials. The HOG strives to increase the number of cancer patients participating in clinical research.
The HOG was created in 1985 by a small group of community-based oncologists and faculty members at Indiana University Cancer Center. Our Founding Fathers, Drs. Rafat Ansari, Lawrence Einhorn, William B. Fisher, Patrick Loehrer, Sr., RM Prasad Mantravadi, and Kenneth Pennington, had a vision, a vision where academic and community physicians would cooperatively work together to develop cancer trials tailored to the community needs. See a video in their own words, how this idea came about (requires windows media player)
Today, we still realize our Founders' vision and maintain that our primary purpose is to conduct clinical cancer research at the community level. The HOG has succeeded in creating an extraordinary network of more than 400 physicians and nurses. This network means that, wherever you live in the Midwest, there are physicians near you who are active participants in the search for new and better treatments for many forms of cancer.
The HOG bridges the most sophisticated research laboratories and hometown healthcare, coordinating trials, exploring new drugs and treatment strategies, refining preventive techniques, and above all, improving the survival rates of cancer patients. This community experience has nationwide consequences.