Stephanie Reyes Becomes Oncology Nursing Committee Chair

Stephanie J. Reyes, RN, MSN, OCN, is the newly appointed chair of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group’s (ECOG-ACRIN) Oncology Nursing Committee, succeeding Bridget O’Brien Fagan, DNP, APN, FNP-BC, AOCNP. Ms. Reyes has served as co-chair of the committee since 2017. She is an oncology research manager at the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion at St. Joseph's/Candler Health System in Savannah, part of the Georgia NCORP. In this role, she manages oncology clinical trials, biospecimens, and genetic counseling services.

Ms. Reyes has been a member of the Oncology Nursing Society since 2001 and is part of the society’s Clinical Trial Nurses Special Interest Group. She also serves on both state and national committees, including the Georgia NCORP Clinical Trials Committee and several committees within ECOG-ACRIN and the SWOG Cancer Research Network. 

The Oncology Nursing Committee is always looking for additional members to serve as nurse liaisons to the disease committees. Interested individuals should email Stephanie Reyes.

ComboMATCH Adds ctDNA Testing and Progression Biopsies

Two significant enhancements are in effect for the ComboMATCH (EAY191) precision medicine initiative, following approval by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and its Central Institutional Review Board (CIRB). As of January 22, 2026, Addenda #5 and #6 are active. Addendum #5 allows participants to use results from a liquid biopsy, which tests for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood, for eligibility determination. The test must be performed by a designated laboratory. The addendum also permits participants to use results from a progression biopsy to aid in identifying future treatment options. Addendum #6 clarifies the Oncomine assay used to sequence and return results from the progression biopsy.

Per usual, investigators and clinical staff can access current protocol documents via the NCI-CTSU menu and submit questions by emailing the ComboMATCH Help Desk. Public information is available at https://ecog-acrin.org/clinical-trials/eay191-combomatch/designated-laboratories/.

Contemporary Clinical Trials Publishes EAQ221CD Methods Paper

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDKIs) enhance survival in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer when combined with endocrine therapy. However, issues such as complex schedules, side effects, and cost can lead to nonadherence. The EAQ221CD study is enrolling patients to assess the CONnected CUstomized Treatment Platform (CONCURxP), a mobile health intervention designed to improve CDKI adherence. Don’t miss the study methods paper by study chair Gelareh Sadigh, MD (University of California, Irvine), co-chair Ilana Graetz, PhD (Emory University/Winship Cancer Institute), and colleagues in the January 2026 issue of Contemporary Clinical Trials.

Register Now for EA1241 Webinar Featuring the Study Chairs

ECOG-ACRIN is hosting a live webinar for investigators and clinical research professionals interested in enrolling patients in EA1241: Extended Clinical Follow-Up and Biospecimen Collection for Patients Enrolled in TAILORx and RxPONDER, A Companion Protocol. Please note that this non-intervention/specimen submission study is only for patients who previously took part in either the TAILORx (PACCT-1) or RxPONDER (S1007) breast cancer treatment trials.

The webinar will take place on Wednesday, February 4, from 4:00-4:45 PM ET. It will be led by study leaders Joseph A. Sparano, MD, and Rima Patel, MD, from Mount Sinai Health System/Tisch Cancer Institute, and Kevin Kalinsky, MD, MS, from Emory University/Winship Cancer Institute.

This 45-minute session will include a 30-minute presentation followed by a 15-minute live Q&A. Topics will include:

• A brief overview of EA1241’s legacy trials, TAILORx and RxPONDER, and the rationale for EA1241
• An overview of the EA1241 study
• Site approval requirements and other helpful information (presented by the ECOG-ACRIN Data Management team)

Register now or email EAClinEd@ecog-acrin.org with general questions. For protocol- or data-related questions, email the study team at EA1241team@ecog-acrin.org.

Learn more about EA1241 at ecog-acrin.org

Save the Date for the Spring 2026 Group Meeting

Mark your calendar to attend the Spring 2026 Group Meeting, Tuesday, May 5–Thursday, May 7 (note the schedule shift away from Wednesday–Friday). This meeting will occur in person at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore, Maryland. Sessions will likely begin early Tuesday morning and end mid-afternoon on Thursday (subject to change).

Additional details will be available when registration opens in early March. Look for an email to all ECOG-ACRIN members when registration is available. As usual, the meeting is open to researchers and staff affiliated with member institutions, ECOG-ACRIN patient advocates, industry representatives, and other invited individuals. Learn more.

Reminder: Trial Educational and Recruitment Materials

The ECOG-ACRIN Clinical Education and Awareness Team, together with the Marketing Team, produces many educational and recruitment materials for active trials, in consultation with the study chairs and study teams. The array of materials is individually tailored to fit study needs and therefore varies by study. They may include:

• For physicians and research staff: physician fact sheets (for all active ECOG-ACRIN studies), pocket reference cards, referring physician letter templates, FAQs, site checklists/process summaries, study flowcharts, protocol overview slides, and recorded webinars
• For patients and advocates: study summaries, brochures, patient-directed videos, and communication plans (patient-friendly text and images for websites, social media, etc.). These materials are reviewed by ECOG-ACRIN's patient advocates and are CIRB-approved.

For each trial, resources are reviewed and revised as needed to reflect all protocol amendments up until study closure to accrual.

Additionally, the Clinical Education and Marketing teams support the development and deployment of protocol-specific newsletters and e-blasts to sites to share amendment highlights, study reminders, and enrollment tips.

All educational and recruitment materials are available for download 24/7 via:

• The members’ section of the ECOG-ACRIN website under Protocols > Complete Protocol Information > Protocol # > Other Study-Specific Tools & Information
• CTSU.org under the Protocol # > Protocol Related Documents > Education & Promotion

All publicly available educational and recruitment materials can also be accessed from the Active Clinical Trials: Resources page on the ECOG-ACRIN website (click or tap the trial ID to view associated materials).

New materials appear on a rolling basis for active trials, so please check back often. ECOG-ACRIN notes the availability of new or revised materials in its routine announcements, and the CTSU includes them in its bimonthly broadcasts.

Questions? Contact the Clinical Education and Awareness Team at EAClinEd@ecog-acrin.org or the Marketing Team at EAMarketing@ecog-acrin.org.