The St. Louis Community Clinical Oncology Program is a consortium of hospitals dedicated to the concept of clinical trials in a community hospital setting. Our specific aims address the issues that we see as key to the development of our program. They include: a data management system to support clinical trials; assurance of appropriate quality control procedures; appropriate data collection mechanisms for recording and gathering data to test the diffusion hypothesis; high quality project staff; standards of excellence for investigators; pharmacy planning; quality assurance procedures; involvement of primary care physicians; standards for protocol selection and overlap and continued development of a support base from the consortium hospitals. To implement these aims we have developed a methodology which address these issues. We have carefully detailed plans and policies which address protocol selection and overlap, primary data entry points and the flow of information; patient tracking; overall data management, project staffing, quality control, and pharmacy procedures. Overall, our past cancer program experience and our interest and enthusiasm for the CCOP concept provides a strong base for the St. Louis CCOP development.