A cognitive radio communication apparatus and method to control a sensing operation. The cognitive radio communication apparatus includes an information receiver to receive channel state information associated with a channel occupancy state of a primary system from at least one sensing node of a secondary system; a sensing control unit to control a sensing period of the at least one sensing node according to a change pattern of the channel occupancy state, based on the channel state information; and a control information transmitter to transmit control information associated with the controlled sensing period to at least one member node of the secondary system.