The
Vanderbilt-Ingram
Cancer
Center
has been chosen by the National Cancer Institute to join an elite group of researchers asked to test the most cutting-edge cancer treatments in Phase II clinical trials in both solid tumor and hematologic malignancies.
“This is an opportunity to participate in novel drug studies of new agents being tested in a specific malignancy for the first time,” said Alan Sandler, M.D., associate professor of Medicine and director of Thoracic Oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingram, who was awarded the grant and will lead Vanderbilt’s participation in the program. “This will provide our patients with access to top of the line treatments that may not be offered anywhere else.”
The contract provides funding based on patient accrual and runs from Jan. 1, 2006 through Dec. 31, 2011. Vanderbilt-Ingram is one of only nine sites that will participate in the program.
This new contract with the NCI complements the current contract at Vanderbilt-Ingram to conduct Phase I clinical trials under the direction of Mace Rothenberg, M.D., professor of Medicine and Ingram Professor of Cancer Research.
“In the Phase II trials we’ll be trying to determine whether the drug has activity in specific malignancies. We will also include correlative studies, requiring blood and/or tumor samples, in these trials. Therefore these types of studies will involve interactions between both the clinical and laboratory scientists at Vanderbilt. We want to try to understand why the drug did or didn’t work to better understand the mechanisms and actions,” Sandler said.
He said Vanderbilt-Ingram hopes to be able to open up the Phase II trials for patients in the
Cancer
Center
‘s affiliate network (VICCAN), as well, allowing a wider group of people in the community to benefit from the cutting-edge treatments. VICCAN includes 12 locations in
, Kentucky and .
To find out more about enrolling in clinical trials at Vanderbilt-Ingram, log on to: www.vicc.org.
Media Contact: Heather L. Hall heather.l.hall@vanderbilt.edu