Groundbreaking cancer trial
Cancer patients in Ottawa have access to the most advanced therapies available, thanks to clinical trials led by oncologists at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre. One example involves cetuximab, a drug that blocks growth-promoting molecules on the surface of cancer cells. Ottawa oncologist Dr. Derek Jonker was the lead on a major international clinical trial of this drug in colorectal cancer patients. The results showed that patients who received the drug survived 23 per cent longer, with significant improvements in quality of life. Further research may help better predict which patients are most likely to respond, thus leading to even greater success rates. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute of Canada, ImClone Systems and Bristol-Myers Squibb and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.