NCI Patterns of Care Studies (POC) describe, characterize, and compare practice patterns and treatments provided for cancer in different geographic areas of the United States. POC are conducted to satisfy a Congressional directive (under Public Law 100-607, Sec. 413 (a) (2) (C) adopted November 4, 1988) to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to “assess the incorporation of state-of-the-art cancer treatments into clinical practice and the extent to which cancer patients receive such treatments and include the results of such assessment in the biennial reports…”. To satisfy the directive and to update and enhance the utility of the POC Studies, a working group including representatives from the NCI’s Divisions of Cancer Control and Population Sciences and Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis and a representative from the American Cancer Society was developed to review knowledge gaps cancer therapy dissemination and to develop priority areas for study. This year’s Patterns of Care Study shall investigate state-of-the-art therapies for patients diagnosed with breast or colorectal cancer.