The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas has awarded UTRGV $877,627 to establish the Rio Grande Valley first comprehensive oncology clinical trials infrastructure.
The three-year Rural Oncology Clinical Trials Accelerator Award will support the UTRGV Rural Oncology Clinical Trials Accelerator, housed within the UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center in McAllen.
The effort will be led by Dr. Diane Nguyen, division chief of oncology and medical director of the center. The infrastructure is intended to help recruit, enroll and support patients participating in national cancer clinical trials.
UTRGV officials said the project could reduce the need for South Texas patients to travel to Houston, San Antonio or other major medical centers to access advanced cancer treatments and research opportunities.
The Rio Grande Valley sees an estimated 9,000 new cancer cases each year, with breast, prostate and colorectal cancers among common diagnoses. Local cancer rates are expected to continue rising over the next decade.
The initiative also addresses a national research gap: Hispanic populations historically have been underrepresented in clinical trials. UTRGV leaders said local access can improve equity in both care and medical discovery.
The project builds on the recent opening of the UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center, which brings medical, radiation and surgical oncology, diagnostics, research and clinical trials into one regional facility.
The award is one of five first-time Rural Clinical Trial Accelerator grants issued by CPRIT to expand trial access in underserved areas. Since 2021, the UTRGV School of Medicine and affiliated research centers have received more than $11.3 million in CPRIT funding.
Source: UTRGV Newsroom
