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
The importance of patient-centered research in oncology clinical trials: motivation for the Monograph series.
The importance of patient-centered research in oncology clinical trials: motivation for the Monograph series. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2025 Mar 01; 2025(68):1-2.
PMID: 39989042
On the use of external controls in clinical trials.
On the use of external controls in clinical trials. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2025 Mar 01; 2025(68):30-34.
PMID: 39989040
Design and analysis considerations for investigating patient subgroups of interest within cancer clinical trials.
Design and analysis considerations for investigating patient subgroups of interest within cancer clinical trials. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2025 Mar 01; 2025(68):22-29.
PMID: 39989043
Summary from the NCI clinical trials planning meeting on next generation of clinical trials in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
Summary from the NCI clinical trials planning meeting on next generation of clinical trials in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Bladder Cancer. 2025 Jan-Mar; 11(1):23523735251319185.
PMID: 40034245
Ten challenges and opportunities in computational immuno-oncology.
Ten challenges and opportunities in computational immuno-oncology. J Immunother Cancer. 2024 Oct 26; 12(10).
PMID: 39461879
Prognostic factors in post-prostatectomy salvage radiotherapy setting with and without hormonotherapy: An individual patient data analysis of randomized trials from ICECaP database.
Prognostic factors in post-prostatectomy salvage radiotherapy setting with and without hormonotherapy: An individual patient data analysis of randomized trials from ICECaP database. Radiother Oncol. 2024 Dec; 201:110532.
PMID: 39278317
Scaling and interpreting treatment effects in clinical trials using restricted mean survival time.
Scaling and interpreting treatment effects in clinical trials using restricted mean survival time. Clin Trials. 2025 Feb; 22(1):3-10.
PMID: 38872319
Refining Risk Stratification of High-risk and Locoregional Prostate Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of Randomized Trials.
Refining Risk Stratification of High-risk and Locoregional Prostate Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of Randomized Trials. Eur Urol. 2025 Feb; 87(2):217-224.
PMID: 38777647
Long-Term Analysis of NRG Oncology RTOG 0415: A Randomized Phase III Noninferiority Study Comparing Two Fractionation Schedules in Patients With Low-Risk Prostate Cancer.
Long-Term Analysis of NRG Oncology RTOG 0415: A Randomized Phase III Noninferiority Study Comparing Two Fractionation Schedules in Patients With Low-Risk Prostate Cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Jul 10; 42(20):2377-2381.
PMID: 38759121
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 05 03; 26(5):796-810.
PMID: 38254183
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