Cancer Clinical Trials

The Innovation in Cancer (ICan) program is part of the BIDMC Cancer Center Clinical Trials office. The goal of the program is to pioneer the development of the next generation of cancer therapeutics to improve the lives and outcomes of patients with all forms of cancers.

Patients with advanced cancer that have not responded to standard therapy may benefit from this program. For those who qualify, this program offers the option to participate in early-stage research studies investigating new anti-cancer agents.

The cancer research and clinical trials conducted under the Innovation in Cancer (ICan) program encompass a variety of novel therapies and techniques based on robust experimental and pre-clinical data, including:

• Unique agents designed to improve the effects of standard chemotherapy
• Targeted agents to disable a specific cellular pathway
• Innovative approaches to interfere with blood flow to tumors
• New chemotherapeutic agents
• State-of-the-art imaging techniques

Call our team at 617-632-9272 to learn more.

Meet the ICan Team

Phase I trials are part of the beginning steps to develop new cancer drugs. Researchers have already tested these experimental drugs in the laboratory and in animals. A Phase I study is the first time it’s being tried in humans.

Phase I trials often involve small numbers of people (a few dozen). The focus is on finding the maximum effective dose that can be given without unacceptable side effects. Usually, the doses that the first participants receive are smaller than the doses that later participants receive. Researchers typically increase doses over time for newer participants after gathering more safety data.

Because Phase I trials come early in the drug development process, the trial may consist of participants with a wide variety of cancer types. Typically, large academic medical centers like BIDMC offer Phase I trials.

Candidates for Phase I Clinical Trials

Clinical studies have eligibility criteria that are part of the research plan. Some seek participants with specific cancer types while others are not limited to one type of cancer.

In many cases, Phase I cancer trials require participants to have advanced cancer that their oncologist cannot completely treat using surgery or radiation therapy. Others join a trial to enhance standard treatment with a new combination treatment option or because they are seeking a different treatment option. Your doctor will recommend the best study for you based on the study’s plan and your situation.

Benefits of Phase I Trials

While Phase I studies do not use placebos, their primary purpose is to evaluate drug safety and dosages. It is important to carefully review the potential risks and benefits of Phase I trials before joining.

Phase I trials can offer participants several benefits:

• By joining a clinical trial, you are among the first to get access to new, cutting-edge treatments
• Clinical trials provide the chance to take positive action by contributing to the understanding of a disease or condition and by furthering treatment options available to others. 
• Many, if not all, treatment drugs and required tests are free to study participants
• Successful clinical trials may improve the length and quality of life for study participants

BIDMC is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center the comprehensive cancer center at Harvard Medical School. Through this collaboration, BIDMC is part of the largest cancer research consortium in the country. This gives you access to a broad array of the most current clinical trials.

BIDMC researchers also join clinical trials connected with these programs:

• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)
• National Cancer Institute
• National Cancer Institute’s Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE)
• National Library of Medicine Clinical Trials