Clinical Trials

The San Diego Cancer Center will support, promote and participate in a wide variety of clinical trials, for nearly all types and stages of cancer. Clinical trials play a pivotal role in the development of new cancer treatments.

Clinical trials are carefully designed and controlled research studies in which new drugs and /or treatment options are being tested on patients. The goal of these new research studies is to find more effective and safer ways to treat patients with cancer.

Participants receive high-quality cancer care and will be among the first to benefit if a new approach is proven to work. The study results help oncology specialists to develop better ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer. All clinical trials are subjected to strict protocols to ensure the best possible outcome for participating patients, while their safety, privacy and well being are protected.

Clinical trials may test new drugs, new combinations of drugs we already use or new dosages, new approaches to surgery or radiation, or new methods of treatment, such as gene therapy, vaccine therapy and antiangiogenesis therapy.

Myths

Despite all the safety guaranties there still exists some hesitation among patients whether to participate in clinical trials or not. This hesitation is mostly based on a lack of information. Some people are afraid to become a ‘guinea pig’ for experimental research studies. Others don’t want to be part of the group of patients in the study that is treated with a placebo, instead of the new experimental drug or treatment that the other half of the group is receiving.

But that is not how clinical trials work. Placebos are almost never used in studies in which new treatments are being tested. Clinical trials are often designed to compare a specific treatment that is currently seen as the best available with a new treatment or drug that the study’s investigators believe is even better or safer. From the patient’s point of view participation in clinical trials offer high quality, state-of-the-art technology and new treatment options. Frequently clinical trials utilize novel, low toxicity drugs to augment conventional chemotherapy. Access to these trials adds promise and hope to those challenged with disease and contributes to the rapidly evolving progress toward definitive, low toxicity solutions to cancer.

Discovery

One of the successes largely attributable to clinical trials is the discovery in breast cancer that lumpectomy plus radiation is as effective as mastectomy for many women with breast cancer. This discovery prevents thousands of women every year from undergoing total breast removal.

Despite the importance of clinical trials only about 3-5% of patients with cancer are enrolled in clinical trials. San Diego Cancer Center is committed to increasing the number of patients who are enrolled in clinical trials, as they present an opportunity for patients with cancer to receive the best possible care.

Listed here are the clinical trials our Cancer Center is presently conducting (programs for prostate and brain tumors are under development). For questions, further information or scheduling please contact Christine DeFrancisco or Melissa Bastawros at (760) 598-1700.