The Children's Onocology Group was created by the recent unification of four pediatric cancer research groups, the Children's Cancer Group (CCG), the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group (IRSG), the National Wilm's Tumor Study Group(NWTSG) and the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG).

The main reason for  the COG  is to conduct clinical research to find new therapies for children with cancer. More than 100,000 children have been treated on research studies over 30 years by the four groups. This research has been the main reason for advances in treatment and rising cure rates for children with cancer. Currently the cure rate for children with cancer is about 75%.

The COG unification means research can be done more efficiently. It's creation provides children with better availability of the best care, regardless of where they live. A new goal for the unified group is to increase efforts to bridge the "adolescent gap," the lower numbers of 15 -19-year-olds on children's research studies, which has resulted in a lower cure rate adolescents.