Clinical trials can offer additional treatment options for colorectal cancer patients. At Avera Cancer Institute, experts guide patients concerning this important, innovative aspect of cancer treatment.
Patients are always offered standard of care. “Yet clinical trials include the newest approaches for treatment,” said Jesse Guardado, MD, surgeon and director of Avera's participation in the national accreditation program for rectal cancer at Avera Cancer Institute in Sioux Falls.
“Trials may offer better treatment than what’s already available,” said Heidi McKean, MD, Avera Medical Group medical oncologist and Avera Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology Medical Director.
Clinical trials take place in different phases. The largest category, phase 3 trials, test new drugs that have already proven to be effective and are now being tested to see if they are better than standard of care. In comparison, phase 1 trials are first-in-human but have already proven to be safe and effective in the laboratory. “It’s important to realize that all the effective cancer drugs we now have were once a clinical trial,” McKean said.
“Thanks to our participation in clinical trials, our patients may see these benefits two or three years earlier than they normally would,” she said.
“We have at our fingertips all the information on the latest trials, so we can be on the lookout for the patients who might gain from their use,” said McKean. Selected trials are offered at multiple Avera sites.
Types of Clinical Trials for Colorectal Cancers
Avera participates in numerous clinical trials through the National Cancer Institute (NCI), along with leading-edge medications released in the private sector. Offering more options for patients and their physicians requires lots of homework. “High-level research is happening at Avera right now,” McKean said.
For example, two trials use immunotherapy to treat cancers that show abnormal or deficient mismatch repair proteins. “We have about 5-10% of patients who qualify, and we’ve found great results for them,” she added.
“Immunotherapy uses the body’s own defenses to fight the tumor,” Guardado said.
For those patients who are a good fit for the trial, complete response is not uncommon. Earlier clinical trials of the same type showed 100% clinical response, or success in shrinking the tumor.
“The treatment in the trial is easier for patients than traditional treatment approaches or surgery," said McKean. “It’s a huge opportunity.”
Striving for the Best Possible Outcomes and Changing Approaches
“Maximizing each patient’s positive outcome is priority,” Guardado said.
Clinical trial drugs that prove to provide a better option than standard of care then become the new standard of care, both doctors explained. They monitor patients years after the treatment to gauge five-year survival rates as well as rates of recurrence. Clinical trials also give cancer experts at Avera a chance to compare and contrast the current scientific literature, to find best ways to use each possible treatment tool.
Patients go through a lengthy consent process before enrolling for a trial, ensuring they understand all the potential risks and benefits of taking part in a trial.
“We want to find better ways to treat cancer, always looking for a way to give more options or ones that are less difficult for patient,” McKean said. Thanks to medical research and clinical trials, treatments continue to evolve, as does the expertise of the Avera cancer team.
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