Cancer Clinical Trials
A clinical trials program is an essential part of a true cancer center. All of the current treatments for oncology patients today have been developed from yesterday’s trials. Our program enables patients in our community to receive potential direct benefit of new drugs and treatment pathways while sleeping in their own bed at night, but also indirectly builds the science for future patients who may be their loved ones.
What are clinical trials?
According to the American Cancer Society, clinical trials are studies in which people volunteer to test new drugs or devices. Doctors use clinical trials to learn whether a new treatment works and is safe for people. These kinds of studies are needed to develop new treatments for serious diseases like cancer.
Clinical trials are vital in studying all aspects of medicine, not just cancer. The stakes may seem higher when researching medicines to treat cancer, but all new treatments (drugs and medical devices) must go through clinical trials before being approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
What trials has TMH participated in before?
TMH has participated in numerous cancer clinical trials, helping to advance medicine and interventional technology for Americans. Some of the recent notable trials our physicians have worked on include:
MonarchE trial: This study investigated the effectiveness of adding a drug called abemaciclib to standard endocrine therapy for treating early high-risk breast cancer. The MonarchE trial showed that adding abemaciclib to endocrine therapy can be a major advance in treating high-risk HR+ breast cancer, offering patients a better chance at long-term survival and reducing the likelihood of cancer coming back.
C3651009 trial: This trial found that the medication ponsegromab was safe for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and cachexia. Cachexia is a condition characterized by severe weight loss, muscle wasting, and loss of appetite. The study had positive results and moved on to a larger phase of studies with more patients, which is ongoing.
COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) Registry: TMH participates in this consortium of over 120 cancer centers and other organizations who have come together to collect data about patients with cancer who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The goal of the consortium is to collect detailed information about cancer patients who get COVID-19. This helps doctors understand how the virus impacts these patients and find ways to improve their care. This registry is still active today.
