Clinical trials often utilize personalized medicine, which looks at a patient’s specific genetic mutations, markers, or DNA sequencing to inform the treatment approach. Many personalized medicine therapies are only available through clinical trials.

Virginia Cancer Specialists participates in many clinical trials to learn what works (and what doesn’t) as we advance cancer care. Trials are the best way for doctors to learn what is safe and effective to improve cancer outcomes.

Because the promising new treatment is being carefully studied, patients are also carefully monitored by healthcare professionals to see how they are doing and to watch for side effects. Patients enrolled in clinical trials tend be monitored and talk with their care team more often than those not enrolled on a clinical trial.

Requirements for clinical trials are strictly managed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Before a therapy is approved for testing in humans, the FDA ensures that it has gone through strict testing protocols in laboratory animals.

As a renowned community cancer center, we offer clinical trials close to home without having to travel to an academic research institution. Patients here are closely monitored from some of the most respected cancer doctors in the country under the leadership of Alex Spira, MD, and Mitul Gandhi, MD.

Participation enables patients to actively engage in their medical care while simultaneously helping future patients on the path to new transformative discoveries. Without clinical trials, there is no progress toward cures for cancer. By participating in scientific research through a clinical trial, you can help future cancer patients access new, better treatments and play a more active role in your own health care.

Patients gain access to novel treatments not yet commercially available that can benefit their outcome.

Some patients may receive free or low-cost treatment for the duration of the study.

• To participate in an open trial, a patient must be given the opportunity to read and review a consent form specific for the trial.
• Upon providing written informed consent a patient will enter a screening period to complete requirements outlined by the study.
• Following this, provided all criteria is met, the patient will…

• A protocol is a study plan on which all clinical trials are based. The plan is carefully designed to protect the health of the participants as well as answer specific research questions.
• A protocol specifically outlines the purpose of the study as well as details such as who is eligible to participate, the study size, number of participants, and describes the plan of care and collection of data.
• A study’s protocol is carefully developed and reviewed by the Principal Investigator and the sponsoring organization. It is then reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure trial procedures are consistently carried out.
• This protocol is used by every doctor taking part in the study.