[[{"@type":["BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/rcca-oncologists-outline-pioneering-approach-to-clinical-trials-for-cancer-patients\/#BlogPosting","@context":{"@vocab":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","kg":"http:\/\/g.co\/kg"},"url":["https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/rcca-oncologists-outline-pioneering-approach-to-clinical-trials-for-cancer-patients\/","https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/rcca-oncologists-outline-pioneering-approach-to-clinical-trials-for-cancer-patients\/"],"publisher":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],"author":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/rcca-oncologists-outline-pioneering-approach-to-clinical-trials-for-cancer-patients\/#BlogPosting_author_Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates"}],"inLanguage":"en-US","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/rcca-oncologists-outline-pioneering-approach-to-clinical-trials-for-cancer-patients\/#BlogPosting_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/16CBBA8B64764636B88F9109122DDCB3-1.jpg"}],"headline":"RCCA oncologists outline pioneering approach to clinical trials for cancer patients","dateModified":"2022-01-04T16:47:30+00:00","datePublished":"2021-01-11T14:18:19+00:00","articleBody":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 11, 2021\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nEnabling people with cancer to participate in clinical trials without having to travel to major academic medical centers is critical to achieving further gains against the deadly disease and to improving individual patients\u2019 survival and quality of life.\nThat was the message four oncologists delivered at a recent virtual Clinical Retreat for cancer physicians organized by Regional Cancer Care Associates, LLC, or RCCA, one of the nation\u2019s largest networks of oncology specialists. During a panel discussion, the physicians stressed the importance of making clinical trials an integral part of oncology care in the community-based setting \u2014 where the overwhelming majority of people with cancer are treated \u2014 and highlighted the strategies that have made RCCA a pioneer in this effort.\n\u201cClinical trials are essential in terms of keeping us on the cutting edge,\u201d Frederick P. Smith, MD, said of the role studies play in ensuring that community-based offices are offering patients the latest in cancer care. Dr. Smith, a board-certified medical oncologist who sees patients at RCCA\u2019s Chevy Chase, MD center, added that as the pace of advances against cancer increases, receiving care from practices aware of, contributing to, and offering clinical trials \u2014 as RCCA members are endeavoring to do \u2014 should be pursued in order for patients to have the fullest range of treatment options.\nNandini Ignatius, MD, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist who sees patients at RCCA\u2019s offices in Old Bridge, Freehold and Holmdel, noted that she routinely reviews the list of clinical trials in which RCCA participates to see which might be of benefit to particular patients in her care. \u201cIt\u2019s important to recognize which clinical trials fit for your patients,\u201d Dr. Ignatius said. She added that whether using long-established cancer therapies or suggesting that a patient enter a study of a promising new treatment, rigorous attention to the specifics of a patient\u2019s cancer, overall health, and preferences is paramount.\nJulianne W. Childs, DO, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist who sees patients at RCCA\u2019s Cape May Courthouse and Marmora offices, said that because community-based oncologists treat a wide variety of cancers, it is vital for them to have access to up-to-date information on the latest trials evaluating treatment strategies across a broad range of solid tumor cancers and blood-based malignancies.\nWith more than 300 studies under way in the RCCA network of more than 20 care centers in New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania and the Washington, DC area, RCCA is enhancing the functionality of its clinical trials database and implementing new approaches for physicians and support staff to readily identify potential candidates for different studies.\nWhen a physician determines that a patient meets the inclusion criteria for a study and believes the person could benefit from participating, a shared decision-making approach is key, said Ian Horkheimer, MD, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist who practices at RCCA\u2019s Little Silver offices. Dr. Horkheimer added that patients can have widely varying attitudes toward clinical trials, and that it is incumbent on the physician to share detailed information on the potential benefits and risks of joining a trial, thoroughly explain the design and goals of the study, address the patient\u2019s questions and concerns, and then respect the patient\u2019s decision. \u201cA lot of patients are very savvy\u201d about clinical trials, said the cancer specialist. \u201cThey\u2019re on the internet and looking for options, so discussing clinical trials with them is always a back and forth,\u201d while others may be reluctant to join a study.\nEchoing Dr. Horkheimer\u2019s comments, Dr. Ignatius said, \u201cWe have to understand how patients view clinical trials\u201d and then address their perceptions and concerns.\nThe RCCA physicians said that patients sometimes can be reluctant to join a trial due to misunderstandings about studies in which participants are assigned in randomized fashion to receive either the treatment being evaluated or a placebo. Often, they said, patients fear that being assigned to the placebo arm means that they would have to stop receiving their current cancer therapy and that they will never have access to the treatment being studied. In actuality, they explained, almost all trials of new cancer therapeutics involve taking those agents or a placebo in addition to \u2014 not instead of \u2014  a person\u2019s standard treatments.\nFurther, they said, many cancer trials include what is called an \u201copen-label extension\u201d in which participants who had received placebo during the main portion of the study can receive the investigational agent during an ongoing portion of the study that assesses long-term outcomes. Additionally, some cancer trials employ a cross-over design, in which one group of patients receives the investigational agent and another group receives placebo for a fixed amount of time, such as 16 or 24 weeks, before the groups switch, with the first now receiving placebo and the second receiving the treatment being evaluated.\nIuliana Shapira, MD, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist who serves as RCCA\u2019s chief medical officer, introduced her colleagues who served on the clinical trials discussion panel. \u201cA remarkable number of new cancer therapies have become available in the last five years, and those treatments have had a dramatic impact in terms of saving lives, extending lives, and improving quality of life, providing more cause for hope than ever before,\u201d she said. \u201cEach one of those therapies is available today because courageous patients, acting in close consultation with their physicians, decided to be \u2018part of the solution\u2019 and participated in a clinical trial.\u201d\nDr. Shapira, who came to RCCA after many years of serving in top research and clinical positions at academic medical centers, added, \u201cI joined RCCA because I admired \u2014 and wanted to help further enhance \u2014 its track record of providing cancer patients with the latest in cutting-edge care in a compassionate manner and convenient setting close to those people\u2019s homes. Offering ready access to clinical trials is a major component of our commitment to ensuring that our patients receive the latest cancer therapeutics in a highly individualized, evidence-based manner, and I look forward to expanding our clinical trials program in 2021.\u201d\n*****\nWith more than 80 cancer specialists at 20-plus community-based care centers in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and the Washington, DC area, RCCA provides care to more than 22,000 new patients and more than 225,000 established patients each year. It offers those patients immunotherapy, targeted treatment, cell-based therapy, and other cutting-edge treatments and diagnostic modalities, as well as access to clinical trials.\nwe are here for you\nFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call (844) 480-0156. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the RCCA location nearest you.\nRELATED ARTICLES\nRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\n\u00a9 2022 Regional Cancer Care Associates. All rights reserved.","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/rcca-oncologists-outline-pioneering-approach-to-clinical-trials-for-cancer-patients\/"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"LocalBusiness","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Corporate Office 25 Main Street, Suite 601","postalCode":"07601","addressRegion":"NJ","addressLocality":"Hackensack","addressCountry":"USA","name":"Postal Address","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/#PostalAddress"},"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":"1024","height":"468","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg"},"contactPoint":[{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactOption":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#ContactPointOption","availableLanguage":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/English_language","areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey"],"contactType":"customer support","telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","description":"Corporate Office Regional Cancer Care Associates 25 Main Street, Suite 601 Hackensack, NJ 07601 info@regionalcancercare.org Phone: (844) 346-7222","name":"Contact Corporate Office","image":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/RCCA_logo-300x137.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#CorporateOffice"},{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactOption":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#ContactPointOption","availableLanguage":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/English_language","areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey"],"contactType":"customer support","telephone":"+1 (201) 510-0922","email":"msalvemini@regionalcancercare.org","description":"Media Inquiries: Mary Lou Salvemini Regional Cancer Care Associates Phone: (201) 510-0922 Email: msalvemini@regionalcancercare.org","name":"Contact Media Inquiries","image":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/RCCA_logo-300x137.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#MediaInquiries"}],"areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey"],"additionalType":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Treatment_of_cancer","alternateName":"RCCA","description":"Leaders in Advanced Compassionate Cancer Care. Fight cancer with leading-edge treatments, experienced skill and local caring\/convenience from one of the nation's largest networks of cancer specialists.","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/rgnlcancercare","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/regionalcancercareassoc","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/10059183","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCFlVzU4UvZcyXBCe9ZSvAUQ"],"telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"RCCA oncologists outline pioneering approach to clinical trials for cancer patients","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/rcca-oncologists-outline-pioneering-approach-to-clinical-trials-for-cancer-patients\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]