With Virginia Cancer Specialists committed to providing the best available care to all of its patients, research is and will continue to be the cornerstone of our practice. Our research offers patients access to new investigational drugs not always available to the general public.
Since 1997, The Virginia Cancer Specialists Research Institute has enrolled more than 3,400 patients in clinical trials for breast, brain, lung, blood, and other cancers. These trials have brought investigational therapies once only available at major academic institutions to patients with cancer in our community.
At any given time, the Institute has approximately 200 actively accruing clinical trials, stemming from Phase 1-3. We have a clinical trial for nearly every type of cancer and every mutation.
We proudly host both early-phase (phase 1) studies and later-stage trials through our Research Institute and a joint venture with NEXT Oncology, with more than 150 employees devoted to that work and 440 patients enrolled in 2023, alone. The two programs comprise the largest, most comprehensive oncology research program in the Mid-Atlantic Region, with patients coming to our Research Institute from across the U.S, Europe, and South America.
We also participate in clinical trials through Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI), one of the world’s leading oncology research organizations conducting community-based clinical trials, and a leader in drug development for more than three decades.
SCRI has conducted more than 800 first-in-human clinical trials since its inception and contributed to pivotal research that has led to the majority of new cancer therapies approved by the FDA in the past decade. Virginia Cancer Specialists’ affiliation with SCRI creates new avenues and approaches to increase clinical trial access.
We offer the largest and most comprehensive clinical trials portfolio in the Mid-Atlantic, giving patients access to the latest advances in cancer care—often years before they become widely available.
Because clinical trials are continually opening and closing, the best way to explore your options is to speak directly with our dedicated Clinical Trials Nurse Navigators. Our experienced clinical team provides concierge-style support, taking the time to understand your diagnosis, walk you through the trial process, and answer your questions every step of the way. This personalized guidance—rare even among large academic centers—brings cutting-edge medicine closer to home and simplifies the process significantly.
Clinical trials are not a last-resort option; they may be appropriate at any stage or for many types of cancer, and we are here to help determine what is right for you.