From By David M. Waterhouse, MD, MPH, medical oncologist and co-director of research, OHC
February 8, 2018
David M. Waterhouse, MD, MPH
Medical Oncologist and Co-Director of Research, OHC
According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 39 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with some type of cancer in their lifetime. For those who unfortunately are, one of the first things you should discuss with your doctor is a clinical trial. Why? Because a clinical trial could provide access to the newest treatment for your condition.
Surveys show that cancer patients want to know all their treatment options. And that list should include clinical trials. The trials are being conducted because there is evidence that the treatment has significant promise. It isn’t a last ditch effort and you aren’t a guinea pig. It’s a new treatment that could work for you, and provide benefits you wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to receive.
Take for example, a patient of my colleague Suzanne Partridge, MD, medical oncologist with OHC. He had a mutant gene that causes lung cancer. Dr. Partridge told him about a clinical trial testing a medication that targeted the mutant gene. The patient told us that within eight hours of starting the medication, he already felt different. So far, he has experienced no side effects and his oxygen level is back to where it should be.
Every clinical trial must be approved and monitored by an Institutional Review Board to make sure the risks are as low as possible and are worth any potential benefits. The organizers of the trial must follow a strict plan, called a protocol, which describes exactly what will happen during the study.
Of course, our OHC doctors and staff are with you through the entire journey; not just during tests and visits, but also throughout the clinical trial. We’re with you from the first time we talk on the phone until you no longer need our services. That’s our goal: to provide you with the support, strength and services you need so you can focus on beating cancer.
To speak with someone about clinical trials, please call us at 1-888-649-4800, contact us online, or request an appointment.
