Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) resulted from the 1996 merger of the Beth Israel and New England Deaconess Hospitals, two neighbors and major Harvard Medical School institutions in the Longwood Medical Area. The BIDMC faculty, together with newly recruited long-time Boston-based ECOG members now includes an exceptional group of committed clinical cancer researchers. Serving as the principal tertiary/academic resources of the CareGroup Network, BIDMC has a natural and ready-made ECOG network to add to its long tradition of excellence in cancer care as well as both clinical and basic science research. BIDMC is home to nationally recognized centers of special expertise including the Joint Center for Radiation (JCRT), liver and other solid-organ transplantation, AIDS and related malignancies, breast cancer/women's health, malignant melanoma, medical informatics and clinical trials methodology, cytokine and biologic therapy. The Harvard Institute of Medicine (H.I.M.) Located nearby provides outstanding research scientists and laboratory-based components for cooperative group translational research. BIDMC joined ECOG as an affiliate of Vanderbilt University in May 1997. From May '97-October '97, as an affiliate, BIDMC entered 36 cases. Based on this strong activity and a fully satisfactory site visit in September '97, BIDMC was granted Main Member Institution status in October '97 and approved to apply for an ECOG Core Grant in January 1998. From October '97 to December '97, as a main institution, BIDMC enrolled 19 patients to ECOG studies. To date, in 1998 BIDMC has accrued 33 patients, making the total accrual for May '97 to May '98 equal to 88 patients. We are committed to conducting laboratory and clinical research in the ECOG specified areas of cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and have demonstrated high levels of patient accrual in the past and have the potential for even greater contributions, group science, and patient enrollment in the future.