MDNews - Greater Boston

Not all of Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care's clinical trials are designed in-house. Last November, Southcoast announced it had entered into a partnership with Boston Medical Center, allowing it to offer a broader range of clinical trials. Through the partnership, Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care became designated as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program affiliate site. The partnership allows its oncologists to participate in NCIsponsored cancer prevention, control and treatment clinical trials, and it includes special efforts to raise awareness and participation by minorities. It provides Southcoast patients with access to a wider array of new treatments without their having to travel long distances. The partnership is an opportunity to bring advanced treatment to the area and helps Southcoast provide state-of-the-art cancer clinical trials to a greater number of patients. "This is an important relationship because it connects us with an academic center and allows our patients to participate in more trials," Dr. Blanchard says. Among the studies Southcoast is participating in as part of the partnership is one to test whether less chemotherapy works just as well as the standard amount for patients with colon cancer who have undergone surgery. In addition, a study about breast cancer includes Herceptin, an antibody that works by targeting a specific marker of the breast cancer cells. The study is testing whether women whose tumors have expression of this marker will receive the same benefit from the antibody. Another study focuses on patients with very early colon cancer that is surgically removed. It is testing whether the use of the statin medication Crestor will decrease the chances of cancer recurrence. "We're involved in a fair number of pharmaceutical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies," Dr. Blanchard says. Southcoast Health System is committed to the success of the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care Clinical Trials Program. The organization funded the creation of a research coordinator position. Ann-Marie Soucy, who had already been with Southcoast for nearly three decades, now works full time as the clinical research coordinator. Soucy screens patients for eligibility, meets with them to explain the study and answers any questions they may have. She ensures coordination and management of clinical trials; communicates with sponsors and regulatory authorities; oversees data reporting and management; and prepares documents and reports for internal and external audits as well as regulatory reporting. "She is the backbone of the program, doing the groundwork day in and day out," Dr. Blanchard says. "Overall, we treat cancer as a team. We have a dedicated nursing team and medical assistants. Everyone has been great about helping with the trials. They affect everyone's workflow, but everyone is on board." Looking ahead, Dr. Blanchard hopes to expand each category of trials and serve different disciplines, such as radiation oncology. She also hopes to add more pharmaceutical trials and get involved in extensive testing of tumors to see if new drugs can be better than standard chemotherapy. "Our biggest challenge is making patients feel comfortable with being part of a clinical trial," Dr. Blanchard says. "We're doing a lot to help educate our patients and their primary care physicians about the opportunities and potentially better therapies available through our trials." For more information about the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care Clinical Trials Program, please call 508-973-3152. ■ Clinical research Coordinator ann-Marie soucy takes a patient through the timed Up and Go test. mdNews.Com ■ MD News Greater Boston | 13

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