Abstract
The US cancer cooperative groups (cooperative groups) were founded in the 1950s to establish a standing infrastructure to conduct multi-institutional cancer clinical trials. Initially funded almost entirely by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI), over the years, the research conducted by the Cooperative Groups has evolved to meet the demands of cancer clinical research, with a scope now encompassing trials to advance cancer treatment, cancer control, biomarker development and validation, and health services research, with a corresponding broadening of their funding sources. The cooperative groups are also a critical mechanism for educating the next generation of cancer clinical trialists from many different disciplines. This review outlines the overall mission, structure, and funding of the cooperative groups, beginning in 1955 when they were first established by the NCI, and describes the considerable progress against cancer achieved over the past decade.