Framingham, MA – August 24, 2006 – Breakthroughs in the fight against cancer happen every day, it is a rapidly changing field that offers new hope to people who have cancer.  New prevention measures and treatment methods are being identified, and new medications, procedures, and therapies are constantly being developed.

Such discoveries are often made thanks to clinical research trials. In fact, most current treatments and protocols began as clinical trials. Clinical trials look for better ways to prevent, screen for, diagnose, and treat cancer, as well as betters ways to control symptoms of the disease. Locally, cancer patients at MetroWest Medical Center (MWMC) have access to a wide range of national clinical trials offering practices not yet available to the general public.

“Advancements in medicine and science frequently stem from new ideas and approaches developed through research,” said Director of MetroWest Medical Center’s Cancer Care Center. “A clinical trial involving human beings is one of the final steps in a long, carefully orchestrated research process. Laboratory results do not always transfer precisely to the human population … therefore, when laboratory findings point to promising results, the next logical step is to test the findings on humans in a safe, controlled approach.”

At MetroWest Medical Center, physicians are able to enter eligible patients in some of the country’s top oncology clinical trials. MWMC’s affiliation with Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center adds to the number and types of trials available to residents of the MetroWest area. These trials target a variety of cancers, including lung, breast, and rectal cancers.

Not every clinical study results in a new and better cancer treatment, and not every patient is eligible to take part in a clinical trial.  Every participant may not always benefit personally from being included in a clinical trial. There is no guarantee, but the potential and the possibility is there. And the hope is there.

“It is important to remember that the researchers involved in a study have strong reason to believe that the treatment being offered is as good as, or better than, current treatments.” "Whether a study determines that a potential treatment is more successful than current treatments or that it is not, the outcome always tells us something important, something constructive. Without human clinical trials, there would be no way to determine the viability of new treatments.” 

The decision to participate in a clinical trail should be weighed carefully. It is a decision that must be made between an informed patient and physician. For more information about the clinical trials offered through MetroWest Medical Center, call 508-383-8529.  A physician referral is necessary.

MetroWest Medical Center’s Cancer Care Center provides state-of-the-art prevention, diagnostic, treatment, and support services for local cancer patients and their families, including access to an extensive range of both treatment and prevention trials conducted by nationally recognized research groups. These groups include Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast & Bowel Project (NSABP).

MWMC was one of the initial sites selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to participate in both the Clinical Trails Support Unit (CTSU) and National Cancer Institute Central Investigational Review Board Project (NCICIRB).