Cancer Clinical Trials
Tgen Clinical Services at Scottsdale Healthcare staff
Through the Scottsdale Clinical Research Institute, patients with advanced cancer can now participate in early-phase clinical trials of brand new agents.
Eligible patients with cancer who consent to participate in a Phase I or II clinical trial study will receive treatment coordinated by the TGen Clinical Research Services (TCRS), located in the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center.
The treatment team may include research physicians, research nurses, data managers and community oncologists.
Once your physician refers you to the SCRI, you will have a consultation with a research physician who will complete a very detailed history and physical, study the medical records and x-rays you’ve provided and determine if you qualify as a candidate for any clinical studies being conducted. Once accepted, you will follow a prescribed treatment plan and your community oncologist will continue to be a part of your medical team.
The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center also offers standard treatments for patients with cancer, as well as community-based clinical trials. Depending on a patient’s diagnosis, a physician may recommend that the patient enroll in a clinical trial.
Clinical trials (also called investigational therapies or research studies) are used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are both safe and effective for treating cancer. These studies are important because cancer affects us all, and we want to make sure that we or our loved ones receive the best possible therapies.
If the treatment in a clinical trial proves to be effective, it can become standard therapy for many patents. In fact, most of today’s standard treatments came from the results of clinical trials. Examples include treatments for breast, colon, rectal and childhood cancers.
In the past, clinical trials were thought of as last resort. Today, patients with common cancers often choose to receive their first treatment in a clinical trial.
For additional information about clinical trials available through SCRI or TCRS, contact the Patient Care Coordinator at 480-323-1339 or
jingold@shc.org.