Sneak Peek At The New James: Clinical Trials OfferHope For A Cancer-Free World

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June 5, 2014 3:55 pm

Clinical trials are an integral part of cancer care in the 21st century. Why? Because they provide hope topatients.

Thanks to groundbreaking research and clinical trials, The Ohio State University Comprehensive CancerCenter – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) gives cancerpatients acces to the most innovative new treatment methods, some of which are not available anywhereelse.

“We have over 500 clinical trials that are active at any time at The James,” says Richard Goldberg, MD,physician-in-chief of the OSUCCC – James, “and we have more than 250 cancer investigators who spendtheir days thinking about the best way to deploy these new drugs.”

The new home of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute will house a new, largerClinical Trials Unit, designed solely to pioneer novel therapies. The unit is a very specific, carefullyorchestrated and highly regulated space, staffed with expert nurses and physicians dedicated to trials.

“We have what we call phase one, phase two and phase three testing,” Goldberg explains. “We can gofrom the very first people who are ever treated with a promising drug, to proving that that drug should beapproved by the FDA.”

The ability to conduct phase one, phase two and phase three trials not only makes the OSUCCC – Jamesone of very few institutions with such capabilities, but it also allows physicians and researchers to speedprogress toward new treatments.

“We’re really interested in bringing drugs from the laboratory to the patient and to approval by the FDA asquickly as we possibly can,” Goldberg says. “When you have cancer, you don’t have the luxury of time.”

Clinical trials and research at the OSUCCC – James allow physicians and researchers to understand apatient’s tumor more quickly, discover what’s driving the cancer and find targeted therapies.

“There is no routine cancer, and we can now tell exactly what’s driving a cancer,” Goldberg says. “We canuse drugs then to target what’s driving it to turn off the signal that’s causing the cells to grow and spread.”

To learn more about clinical trials at the OSUCCC – James or how there is no routine cancer, visitcancer.osu.edu or call The James Line at 800-293-5066.