Clinical Trials: Today’s Research, Tomorrow’s Hope
Image: Dr. Tara Graff
Submitted by: Tara M. Graff, DO, MS, Director of Clinical Research, Mission Cancer + Blood, part of University of Iowa Health Care
Over the past 20 years, we’ve seen major advancements in cancer care, shifting from broad chemotherapy and radiation treatments to personalized, precision therapies. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved 11 new novel drug classes since 2000, saving countless lives and giving hope to patients and families battling cancer.
And it deserves to be recognized: every treatment available today exists because of past clinical trials.
Clinical trials lead to life-saving treatments, improved survival rates, and a better understanding of how to fight cancer. They bring doctors and patients together to find better ways to treat cancer by performing necessary research, while giving patients the opportunity to try promising new treatments before they’re widely available.
I’ve seen firsthand the impact trials can make, and I am incredibly grateful to all patients who choose to enroll in trials. And they aren’t just doing it for themselves, they’re doing it for patients everywhere.
Myths and facts about clinical trials
When a new clinical trial is introduced, it’s carefully reviewed by a dedicated team, including physicians, regulatory experts, finance and pharmacy staff, and clinical trial coordinators. Together, we look closely at whether the trial is a good fit for our patients and the locations where it may be offered. We consider several important factors. One is whether the trial truly brings something new. If a similar study is already underway, starting another may not make sense. We also look at the patient population at each site to be sure there are enough patients with the right diagnosis to make the trial meaningful. For example, some rare cancer trials may only be offered at an academic medical center like University of Iowa Health Care, where patients with those diagnoses are more commonly seen.
Even with all the careful work that goes into selecting trials, there still seem to be some lingering myths. One is that trials are only a last option; another is that there is a chance a patient could receive a “sugar pill” instead of a real treatment – neither of which is true.
While some trials test brand-new treatments, others study ways to make current treatments work better, or focus on reducing over-treatment by shortening the course of care or replacing older therapies that have long-term risks. Many trials are offered as the first cancer treatment to help avoid surgery or prevent recurrence, and some focus on preventing cancer or reducing side effects.
Cancer clinical trials rarely use placebos alone. If a placebo is used, it is always given alongside the best standard treatment—never in place of it.
Clinical trials are built on a scientific foundation with the best ethical principles behind them, and they follow strict rules to keep patients as safe as possible.
A group called an Institutional Review Board (IRB) checks every study to make sure it is ethical and safe. Additionally, a group of scientists reviews the trial to ensure it is based on sound scientific evidence.
Expanding access
In my role as director of clinical research at Mission Cancer + Blood, part of University of Iowa Health Care, I am passionate about spearheading and conducting clinical trials. I’m a strong advocate for patients to participate if they are eligible and for developing pathways to expand trials as broadly as possible to enroll and make these cutting-edge treatments available to more patients, especially patients in rural areas.
Last year, when Mission and UI Health Care joined forces, we immediately began working on ways to offer joint clinical trials to our patients.
Both of our organizations already had strong trials programs, but now, fueled by a shared passion for and dedication to advancing cancer care and developing the latest drugs, treatments, and therapies, together we plan to continue to increase the number of trials that are available to patients across Iowa.
Offering trials at multiple locations not only provides more options to more patients closer to home, it enhances the research by providing access to a broader pool of more representative participants. This is important because it helps make sure results apply to all patients, including, for example, both rural and urban patients with cancer, despite different access to care.