The Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC) was formed in 1993 to comply with National Cancer Institute guidelines in establishing a scientific review and monitoring system of cancer studies - it is a mechanism for quality assurance. The PRMC membership includes faculty, statisticians, pharmacy, imaging, patient advocate, research nurse and other ad hoc reviewers from various disciplines within the Health Sciences. The PRMC reviews cancer-related protocols for scientific merit and progress, including participant accrual. It also prioritizes cancer protocols that may compete for the same patient population. Its function is complementary to that of the Institutional Review Board, which focuses on the protection of human subjects in research. If a study is designed to involve cancer patients, it must receive PRMC approval before it can be IRB approved. If a study includes cancer patients by default (as part of a broader patient population) and not by study design, it doesn't need PRMC review.