Cancer Prevention: What's on the Horizon?

As early as 2006, we were seeing news articles about the possibility of a vaccine coming to market to fight cervical cancer. At that time, the HPV vaccine was in the final stages of research, and was under review by the FDA. In the summer of that year, the vaccine was approved for girls and young women, and was later approved for males as well. It is now considered a vital tool in the prevention of cervical cancer in men and women, and is as close to being a "cure" as we have seen to date.

Just like those conducted on the HPV vaccine, there are hundreds more clinical research trials being done every day that are investigating the effectiveness of newly developed drugs and procedures. Clinical trials are a vital key to removing the word cancer from "household word" status.

Cancer research trials are conducted for many reasons. Some are simply focused on finding a "cure". Sometimes, these lead to discoveries that were unexpected - such as a medication that was being used to treat one kind of cancer that is then found to be effective on another type, or even another disease altogether. In other studies, researchers may be trying to discover ways to manage symptoms or after-effects of treatment such as "chemo-brain" and post-radiation nerve damage. Trials are also conducted that study the psychological impact of medical treatments and offer new "best practices" for doctors in order to prevent patients from suffering emotional distress during their treatment and recovery.

For a patient, the decision to participating in a clinical trial can be a difficult one to make. Many trials are "double-blind", meaning that the doctor and the patient don't know if the syringe or i.v. of fluid being administered is actually a newly created medication, or a placebo. Entering into that kind of study means placing faith in the importance of the study, not necessarily in any improvement that might be seen by the patient themselves.

There are many benefits to participating in a clinical trial. They offer a level of care that may be a step up from the standard if the treatment you are receiving is found to be effective. Participation can empower a patient and allow them take a lead role in their treatment plan. The psychological effect of this can be beneficial to many patients - feeling "helpless" is a common complaint of cancer patients who are undergoing cancer treatment and request counseling support. Finally, participation in clinical trials allows patients to become part of the important work being done to improve cancer treatment and find cures on a national and global scale. The ongoing legacy of cancer trial participants is significant.

Of course, there can be drawbacks to participation, and patients have to discuss them with their physician as well. There could be side-effects that doctors are not yet aware of. Even if the new treatment has benefits, it may not work on every patient. Health insurance does not always cover all the costs of a research study. New treatments may simply not be any better than the standard of care, which would mean that money spent and side-effects endured may be of no benefit to the individual patient. That's where the ongoing legacy comes in... the more people that are involved in trials, the more quickly the most effective treatment options and cures will be discovered.

More information on clinical trials being conducted in Northwest Arkansas is available on the Highlands Oncology Group website. Their research staff is on the fore-front of the cancer fight and can provide additional information for patients interested in looking at all their treatment options.

Why should you consider a clinical trial?

Some scientists in San Antonio working for the drug company GlaxoSmithKline have been doing research on a new biologic treatment regimen for metastatic breast cancer, and say that their findings show "substantially" improved survival rates for women receiving their new combination of agents. You can check out the (moderately scientific) article here.

The American Cancer Society reported in an article last year that cancer deaths are down across the country. They reported that the decrease is a result of improved early-detection, and better treatments. Both of these encouraging reports can be used to support the case for clinical trials as a way to beat cancer. Advances are made every day in the treatment of cancer due to the dedicated work of researchers all over the world performing clinical trials and the patients who choose to participate in them. Unfortunately, clinical trials are often misunderstood by patients and are sometimes avoided due to a number of misconceptions.


Many people believe that if they participate in a clinical trial, they may not receive any "real" medication at all, but only a placebo, thereby leaving their illness untreated. This is not the case! The basic "standard of care" is always administered, and the trial usually involves adding additional medications or other forms of treatment to that standard.

There is also a common perception that if a patient agrees to participate in a clinical trial, it's because there are no other options available. In other words - it's their last hope. While in some cases there are trials that are aimed at treating patients who have tried everything else, that is certainly not the only reason to look into participating. Many trials focus on patients who have had no other treatment at all in order to test medications that would, if approved, become a first-defense drug. They might increase the effectiveness of the current standard of care, or replace it altogether because it is found to produce a better effect. Either way, it's exciting to think of being a part of that kind of discovery.

Another major concern many patients have is that being part of a clinical trial is more expensive than standard treatment, and won't be covered by insurance. As you can imagine, finding more effective drugs to treat a disease like cancer is in everyone's best interest - even the insurance companies. The faster and more completely a drug can rid a patient of cancer, the smaller the medical claim will be. Many private insurance companies do cover admission to a clinical trial. If you are interested in signing up for one, don't hesitate to contact your insurance administrator as soon as you can to find out if you have that benefit available to you.

Finally, many people are afraid that they can't participate in a clinical trial without having to travel, thereby creating a huge financial burden on their family. A recent local study found that the average person living in Northwest Arkansas who was interested in participating in a clinical trial would spend approximately $26,000 a year to do so. (Based on travel to Little Rock) Participation in a trial can be challenging, but it can also be the best chance for recovery for a particular patient's cancer. For this reason, Hope Cancer Resources has a Registered Nurse on staff managing clinical trials right here in Northwest Arkansas.

We believe strongly that cancer research holds the key to a cure, and we are doing what we can to make that cure a reality. The trials we manage are mainly gynecological in nature, but if you have another type of cancer, we can help you with the questions you may have, and help you make decisions about trials in other locations. It's possible that the research department at Highland's Oncology Group may be able to screen you for one of their trials if we don't have a match. Our social workers would also be happy to discuss the financial strains that participation may cause and see if we can help you with some of those concerns as well.

Don't assume that clinical trials are not available to you or to a loved one. Ask questions! Ask your doctor, ask our staff... we'll be happy to help you in any way we can as you make the journey through cancer treatment.