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Innovation + Technology = World-Class Cancer Care at S A N A N T O N I O ' S M E T H O D I S T Healthcare has been on the forefront of this transformation. Affiliations with prestigious organizations such as the Sarah Cannon Research Institute and the Children's Oncology Group allow oncolo- gists at Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children's Hospital to enroll pediatric, adolescent and adult patients in an array of clinical trials that make groundbreaking therapies available locally. "The pace of innovation and new dis- covery in cancer care mandates access to these types of therapies," says Lisa Kiehne, MHA, Vice President of Oncology at Methodist Hospita l and Methodist Children's Hospital. "This is no longer the exception but really the standard of care for patients." INNOVATION IN ACTION Because Methodist Healthcare is recog- nized for its quaternary blood and stem cell tra nspla nt prog ra m, including a leading-edge clinical research program, promoting enrollment in clinical trials is a priority for the oncology team. " Pa r t icipat ion i n a cl i n ic a l t r i a l a llows patients to receive treatment t hey wou ld not ot her w ise receive," says Paul Shaughnessy, MD, Program Medical Director of the Texas Transplant Institute's Adult a nd Pediatric Bone M a r r o w T r a n s p l a n t P r o g r a m a t Methodist Hospita l. " This resea rch a dva nces t he s t a nda rd of ca re a nd improves patient outcomes." One of t he in novative treatments M e t h o d i s t H e a l t h c a r e c u r r e n t l y provides — a nd is adva ncing fur ther through ongoing research — is chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T cell therapy). This treatment offers hope to blood cancer patients, particularly those with relapse, who may have exhausted conventiona l treatment options. A s a result of CA R-T cell therapy, some patients who fa iled sta nda rd ca ncer therapy experience long-term survival, Dr. Shaughnessy says. CAR-T cell therapy uses the patient's own laboratory-altered T cells to attack cancer cells. Using apheresis, the white blood cells —which include T cells — are filtered from the patient's blood. A chime- ric antigen receptor gene is then added to the T cells, and the T cells are infused back to the patient. The cells bind to an Methodist Healthcare BY HILLARY EAMES FOR DECADES, PHYSICIANS RELIED SOLELY ON THE THREE PILL ARS OF CANCER CARE — CHEMOTHER APY, R ADIATION AND SURGERY — A S THE CORNERSTONES OF ONCOLOGIC TRE ATMENT PL ANS. OVER THE PA ST 20 YE ARS, HOWE VER, A RE VOLUTION HA S TAKEN PL ACE IN THE FIELD OF ONCOLOGY A S PHYSICIANS AND RESE ARCHERS DE VELOP E XCITING NE W OPTIONS FOR LESS INVA SIVE TRE ATMENTS THAT OFFER BE T TER RESULTS WITH FE WER SIDE EFFECTS. PHOTOS COURTESY STERLING CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY 0 6❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R S T O R Y