Hollings Horizons Winter 2025 - Flipbook - Page 11
Clinical trials are how
we improve cancer
care for everyone, and
quite often, clinical
trials are a lifeline
for the individual
patients who choose
to participate.
➜What are the benefits of clinical
trial participation?
➜ Should I be concerned about
participation?
Clinical trials provide options to people who may
be facing limited choices in their cancer care, or
who are experiencing negative side effects from a
standard regimen. They offer the most advanced
innovations and scientific thinking in cancer care.
There are strict rules for clinical trials, which are
monitored by the National Institutes of Health
for the trials it funds, and the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration more broadly.
And, many people feel good about taking part in
a trial that will help not only them, but others who
may benefit from the treatment in the future.
Some of the research studies involve promising
new treatments that may directly benefit patients.
➜ Who can participate in a
clinical trial?
Before a clinical trial begins, its protocol must be
reviewed extensively by an Institutional Review
Board (IRB) to see that its benefits outweigh its
risks. These IRB committees may include physicians,
statisticians, ethicists, and patient advocates.
Patients with a cancer diagnosis will work closely
with their physicians to determine care options
beginning with diagnosis. You and your doctor can
discuss if there are appropriate trials for your type
of cancer, as well as eligibility requirements.
Patients accepted into clinical trials go through
rigorous testing and monitoring before and during
the trial, and are cared for by a specialized, highly
trained team of cancer experts. At any point in the
process, a patient can elect to end participation.
Raymond N. DuBois,
M.D., Ph.D.
To learn more about clinical trials at Hollings Cancer Center, visit
hollingscancercenter.musc.edu/research/clinical-trials
Dedicated Clinical Trials Unit
MUSC Hollings Cancer Center recently opened the Summer and
Clyde Anderson Advanced Cancer Therapy Clinic to provide
specialized care to patients participating in phase I clinical trials
for cancer.
This new clinic space means Hollings will be able to offer patients
more and different types of clinical trials that were logistically
challenging under the previous arrangement.
Beyond that, it means that future patients will benefit from the
specialized clinical expertise of Hollings nursing and physician teams.
“As an NCI-designated cancer center, conducting research and offering clinical trials is inherent in our mission
to reduce the burden of cancer in South Carolina. Our team has worked diligently to develop this unit, and I am
excited to see the outcomes this will enable. Without this kind of research, we would not be able to continually
improve our outcomes,” said Hollings director Raymond N. DuBois, M.D., Ph.D.
hollingscancercenter.musc.edu
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