James Thomas, MD, PhD Bringing the Future Home Our growing clinical trials program makes the newest therapies available.
hat would happen if you were diagnosed with multiple myeloma? Treatments exist for this rare blood cell cancer, but cures are elusive. Still, new options are out there. Some myeloma patients are eligible to receive a promising new drug known simply as “MLN9708.” Since it is an investigational drug, MLN9708 is only available through a clinical trial taking place at a small number of medical centers nationwide – including Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin.
“Part of being an academic medical center is that we have a broader array of clinical trials to offer patients,” said James Thomas, MD, PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin hematologist/oncologist. A clinical trial is a carefully conducted test of a new treatment within a patient population. “Trials give eligible patients the opportunity to receive the most promising new therapies, including medications that might be available long before they have approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.” Each trial has strict eligibility requirements. The investigator who runs the trial ensures that patients meet these requirements before enrolling them. Because the ultimate goal of a clinical trial is learning, patients may receive standard therapy plus the investigational therapy, or standard therapy plus a placebo.
For patients with rare or advanced cancers, clinical trials may represent the only option. “When patients have exhausted standard treatment options, we can often provide them with additional possibilities through clinical trials,” Dr. Thomas said.
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froedtert.com/cancer Clinical Cancer Center
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