Much progress has been made in the fight against the most treatable forms of cancer. We can count better education initiatives, advanced detection techniques and patient access to improved treatment among the reasons. But there's another aspect that shares responsibility for the dramatic increase in survival rates for people with cancer over the last few decades: clinical research.
Clinical trials evaluate the effectiveness of completely new approaches to cancer treatment and of existing therapies used in new ways. By evaluating the results of clinical trials, researchers discover better ways to treat and prevent cancer. The more people who participate in clinical trials, the faster medical science can answer critical questions about the origins and mechanisms of cancer.
The Aultman Cancer Center has one of the region's most active clinical research programs, bringing experimental drugs and treatments to eligible patients through the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG), the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), the Cancer Trials Support Unit (CTSU), the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center and through various trials sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry.
Since its inception in 1983, the Aultman Cancer Center has conducted more than 350 clinical trials devoted to the study and treatment of cancer. At this time, our clinical investigators - all board-certified physician specialists assisted by certified research coordinators and registered oncology nurses - are engaged in more than 100 oncology studies involving major disease sites and various disease phases.
In 2006, a total of 209 patients were enrolled into clinical trials through the Aultman Cancer Center. For people with cancer in Stark County and surrounding counties, this means they do not need to travel to large, city-based academic medical centers to take part in promising, cutting-edge studies.
Choosing to enroll in a clinical study gives patients options they wouldn't ordinarily have. They are closely monitored and are among the first to benefit if the treatment approach being tested is proven effective. By taking an active role in decisions that affect their life, many patients replace some sense of control they lose after having been diagnosed. In addition, the Aultman Cancer Center is held to an elevated standard of care by study sponsors, who demand copious documentation and adherence to stringent criteria, conditions that enhance the quality of care for all patients.
For more information on cancer clinical trials, contact RN, BSN Brandy Hahn at 330-363-6891.
