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Focusing on You: Phase I Clinical Trials

3 min read  |  December 17, 2017  | 

Clinic Expands Treatment Options for Patients with Advanced Cancers

Dr. Jamie Merchan, director of Phase I clinical trials at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the possible benefits of participating in ongoing clinical research studies that make new drugs available to cancer patients and how National Cancer Institute designation can mean greater access to the latest investigational treatments.


TRANSCRIPTION

Narrator: 
Focusing on you, from your team of experts at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. South Florida’s only national cancer institute designated cancer center.

Dr. Jaime Merchan:     
Many times, we evaluate drugs that have never been used before in humans, and we are the first in the country or first in the world. And we bring patients new hope by evaluating new treatments, treatments that have been shown promise in the laboratory, in clinical models, and then we are moving these newer treatments into patients with advanced cancer.

Dr. Jaime Merchan: 
With NCI designation, we will be able to bring new opportunities, in regards to clinical trials, in regards to new agents, new drugs that will be to benefit more and more patients.

Dr. Jaime Merchan: 
So far so good?

Luiz Martinez: 
Every inch a king, doctor.

Dr. Jaime Merchan: 
This is a clinic, this is a space that we have developed, that is fully and exclusively dedicated to conduct clinical research with patients with advanced cancer. We are very, very, very sincere with the patients and we always, when we discuss about the participation in the clinical trial, we discuss the pros, the cons. Because of the nature of some of the studies, especially these new immunotherapeutic agents, there is a possibility, I would say a real possibility that these new treatments, even though they’re in phase one stage, may benefit, may help patients control their tumors.

Luiz Martinez:
To decide to participate in a clinical trial is to basically say, I am going to take a chance. It’s a very calculated risk because it’s in a very caring environment, and I’m willing to do that because I feel good about it and it’s going to make my life better.

Luiz Martinez:
Research, that we understand it here is basically very careful investigation. So when you come into a clinical trial, you’re really under a lot of very special care.

Dr. Raymond Mathews:
Renal cell carcinoma. I had stage four, as a terrible prognosis and I probably wouldn’t be here today if I wasn’t part of the study. And I would tell any patient out there that’s thinking about enrolling in a trial that, not only is the advancement of medicine a worthwhile goal, but in my case, there were no other options. And this, totally unexpected on my part, has allowed me to be here now.

Dr. Raymond Mathews:
On the trial medication, I basically have no side effects. I take it at the same time each day. I take it religiously and it’s paid off for me. And I’ve got, again, almost no side effects.

Dr. Jaime Merchan: 
So this is a very, very exciting moment in cancer research, especially in phase one research, where we are actually seeing significant benefit in many of our patients. Were five, 10 years ago, the main objective of a phase one clinical trial was to see how safe the drug was.

Luiz Martinez:  
This clinical trial has given me back my life, and I feel it’s meant a new life for me.


Tags: cancer, Dr. Jamie Merchan, NCI designation, Phase 1 clinical trials

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