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Breast Cancer:
Beating C
Cancer Care Centers of South Texas Clinical Research Trials Test Promising New Therapies
With Sharon T. Wilks, M.D., FACP, and Allyson L. Harroff, M.D.
LINICAL RESEARCH IS critical to the future of medicine. Though researchers work behind the scenes, their dis-
coveries are essential to curing myriad illnesses. These innovations would still be for naught, however, if not for the brave patients who agree to participate in clinical trials designed to prove a treatment's efficacy and safety. As part of The US Oncology Network, Cancer Care Centers of South Texas (CCCST) offers clinical trials for a wide range of malignancies, including numerous trials for breast cancer. By participating in these trials, patients not only receive cutting-edge treatments before they are commonplace, but they also make their mark on the future of cancer care. For several years, physicians have
treated breast cancer using methods that interrupt tumor growth by attack- ing receptors that feed estrogen to the tumor. Though these medicines are highly effective, in many cases, the strategy only works for a limited amount of time. Recent research has explained why this form of therapy can fail.
20 | San Antonio MD NEWS ■ MDNEWS.COM
