By: Meryl Lin McKean
From: fox4kc.com
Cancer patients will have even more opportunities in the metro to take part in clinical trials of new therapies. HCA Midwest Health, which has the largest number of hospitals in the area, is joining a large research network.
HCA Midwest Health will be part of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute which has sites across the country doing cancer clinical trials. A doctor at HCA’s Research Medical Center says it means his patients will have more opportunities for the latest treatments without leaving his care.
“Oncologists have a long-term relationship with the patient. The patients do not want to leave the primary oncologist when it comes to recurrence or the progression,” said Dr. Jaswinder Singh, an oncologist.
The metro also has K.U. Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated center, and some affiliate hospitals offering clinical trials. So does Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute.
“We are not in competition with each other. We are growing together. There may be some duplication, but we believe we’re gonna have our own niche trials which will help the Kansas City patients to not travel outside the Kansas City area,” said Dr. Singh.
Initially, the Sarah Cannon trials locally will be phase three which is later research. K.U. and Saint Luke’s say they offer earlier and late phase studies.
The challenge for all of the centers is to increase the number of cancer patients participating.
“It’s about three out of a hundred patients that have cancer actually participate in trials, and yet that’s how we find new therapies,” said Dr. David Spigel of Sarah Cannon Research Institute.
The first studies offered locally through HCA Midwest and Sarah Cannon will be of drugs for breast and brain cancers.
Both K.U. Cancer Center and Saint Luke’s say they welcome the opportunity for more patients in the area to take part in late phase trials.
Barbara Jacoby is an award winning blogger that has contributed her writings to multiple online publications that have touched readers worldwide.