Once you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, you undoubtedly
have several questions. No one needs to fight cancer alone. At St. John’s
Health, we put our all into helping patients treat and recover from cancer.
In addition to an excellent oncology staff, nationally certified oncology
nurses, state-of-the-art technology, and affiliation with a leading cancer
research center, we encourage patients to review the following resources
to learn more about their disease and what they can do to fight against
it. Check out the links below to start your fight against cancer, or call
us to schedule an appointment with an oncologist at 307.739.6195.
Medical research studies involving people are called clinical trials. Clinical
trials in cancer test new treatments, ways to reduce side effects of treatment
and to control symptoms. They may also investigate the causes of cancer
and new ways of preventing, diagnosing or screening for cancer.
Trials are the only reliable way to find out if a new treatment:
Is safe
Has side effects
Works better than the current treatment
Helps you feel better
Your safety is very important. Your doctor and the research team will monitor
your health closely throughout the trial.
What are the benefits?
You may have a new treatment that is only available in a clinical trial.
You may have more check-ups, tests and scans than usual, which you may
find reassuring.
You will be helping to improve cancer treatments for future patients.
What are the drawbacks?
You may have to make more trips to health system.
The extra tests and check-ups could increase your worry about cancer.
You may have to do some paperwork.
You may have unexpected side effects from the new treatment.
How do I know if a clinical trial is safe?
If you agree to join a trial, all the possible risks and benefits of taking
part will be clearly explained to you. You can also withdraw from a trial
at any point, and don’t have to give a reason. You will then have
the standard treatment for your type and stage of cancer.
New treatments are carefully researched in a laboratory before they are
tested with patients. But there is some risk with any new treatment, and
no guarantee that it will be better than the standard treatment.
How do I join a clinical trial?
Speak to your cancer specialist if you are interested in taking part in
a clinical trial. We will work with you to gather additional information
and find out if there is a clinical trial that is right for you or your
family member. For information about clinical trials at Huntsman Cancer
Institute
click here.
Cancer-Free Frontier Podcast
Huntsman Cancer Institute investigates the challenges and triumphs of delivering
a cancer-free frontier. Host Heather Simonsen encourages us to envision
a promising future by speaking with our most brilliant minds.
January 27 Painting Exploration with Friends
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