Interdisciplinary Oncology Project Groups (IOPs)

IOPs are multidisciplinary expert teams specialising in various cancer entities or treatment modalities. Each IOP is active at the Köln as well as the Bonn site of CIO and is led by a coordinator from Köln and a coordinator from Bonn. In these group, all clinical specialities and sub-specialities involved in the treatment work closely together. Their responsibilities include optimising clinical service delivery and the development of translational research priorities, thus closing the gap between basic sciences and clinical research. 

OPs Tasks:

• The development and annual actualisation of the jointly adapted clinical guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumours (CIO Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs).
• The implementation of the CIO Quality management instruments.
• The organisation of CIO tumour documentation as the basis for the establishment and advanced development of a clinical cancer register.
• The initiation and organisation of innovative clinical trial concepts.
• The use and maintenance of the joint clinical trials register.
• The collection of tissue in a joint tumour tissue bank.
• The contact with research teams from basic science as the basis for the establishment of patient-centred translational research.
• Nurturing the contact with external cooperation partners in the area of clinical services provision, quality management and clinical studies.

It is up to each group coordinator to also include cooperative partners in private practice, representatives from a scientific entity or representatives from patient advocacy groups. The coordinators report regularly to the CIO Board on the groups’ activities.

The following groups have been established: