People

James J. Dignam, PhD

Dr. Dignam's primary research involves the design, conduct, and analysis of cancer clinical trials, including early development (phase I), pilot efficacy and safety (phase II), and definitive evaluation (phase III) trials. He is the Executive Director of the Statistics and Data Management Center for NRG Oncology, a National Cancer Institute sponsored multi-center clinical trials group with over 500 recruitment sites in North America and beyond and over 100 active clinical trials. Dr. Dignam's methodology interests include trial monitoring and early stopping rules, competing risks, hazard function estimation, and prognostic modeling. He also has engaged in and led investigations into sociodemographic factors such as race/ethnicity and BMI/obesity on cancer prognosis and treatment response. Courses taught include introductory biostatistics, clinical trials, survival analysis, and regression modeling methods.

University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health
Pittsburgh
PhD - Biostatistics
1994

Saint Xavier College
Chicago
BA - Mathematics
1986

Cardiovascular Mortality and Duration of Androgen Deprivation in Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer: Long-term Update of NRG/RTOG 9202.
Cardiovascular Mortality and Duration of Androgen Deprivation in Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer: Long-term Update of NRG/RTOG 9202. Eur Urol Focus. 2024 Feb 01.
PMID: 38307806

Leveraging External Control Data in the Design and Analysis of Neuro-Oncology Trials: Pearls and Perils.
Leveraging External Control Data in the Design and Analysis of Neuro-Oncology Trials: Pearls and Perils. Neuro Oncol. 2024 Jan 22.
PMID: 38254183

Risk Factors for Hospital Readmission in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease.
Risk Factors for Hospital Readmission in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease. Respir Care. 2024 Jan 10.
PMID: 38199762

Early Endpoints in High-risk Localized Prostate Cancer: Exploratory Analysis of Three Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Phase 3 Studies.
Early Endpoints in High-risk Localized Prostate Cancer: Exploratory Analysis of Three Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Phase 3 Studies. Eur Urol. 2023 09; 84(3):331-340.
PMID: 37393115

Predictors of Pneumonitis in Combined Thoracic Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy and Immunotherapy.
Predictors of Pneumonitis in Combined Thoracic Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy and Immunotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2022 11 15; 114(4):645-654.
PMID: 35753553

Hematuria following Post-Prostatectomy Radiotherapy: Incidence Increases with Long-Term Followup.
Hematuria following Post-Prostatectomy Radiotherapy: Incidence Increases with Long-Term Followup. J Urol. 2022 06; 207(6):1236-1245.
PMID: 35050703

Appropriate Systemic Therapy Dosing for Obese Adult Patients With Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update.
Appropriate Systemic Therapy Dosing for Obese Adult Patients With Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update. J Clin Oncol. 2021 06 20; 39(18):2037-2048.
PMID: 33939491

Disparities in Breast Cancer: Narrowing the Gap.
Disparities in Breast Cancer: Narrowing the Gap. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2021 04 06; 113(4):349-350.
PMID: 32986842

Validation of a 22-Gene Genomic Classifier in Patients With Recurrent Prostate Cancer: An Ancillary Study of the NRG/RTOG 9601 Randomized Clinical Trial.
Validation of a 22-Gene Genomic Classifier in Patients With Recurrent Prostate Cancer: An Ancillary Study of the NRG/RTOG 9601 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2021 04 01; 7(4):544-552.
PMID: 33570548

Statistical Considerations in the Evaluation of Continuous Biomarkers.
Statistical Considerations in the Evaluation of Continuous Biomarkers. J Nucl Med. 2021 05 10; 62(5):605-611.
PMID: 33579807

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Co-recipient, Statistical Partnership Among Academe, Industry, and Government (SPAIG) Award
American Statistical Association
2021

Elected Fellow
Society for Clinical Trials
2019

Inducted Member
Delta Omega, National Public Health Honor Society
1991