Clinical Trials

Here is a current list of available cancer studies at Altru.

Since 1977, Altru Cancer Center has partnered with the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester, MN and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to offer leading clinical trial research in our community. The research group is known as the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, providing our patients with access to emerging cancer treatment options.

Clinical trials in the community are one of the final stages of a long and careful research process. This brings recent discoveries into clinical practice. Our membership with the Alliance:

• Gives our physicians access to the latest information regarding advances in cancer treatment
• Allows our patients to participate in research programs at our facilities
• Means seeking the best cancer treatment doesn't have to include relocating

The purpose of a clinical trial is research, so the studies follow strict scientific standards. These standards and requirements protect patients and help produce reliable study results.

Clinical trials explore whether a medical treatment (device, medication, procedure) is safe and effective for humans. These studies also may show which medical approaches work best for certain illnesses or for specific groups of people. Clinical trials produce the best data available for health care decision making.

Studies conducted at Altru include treatments to improve usual care (standard of care), prevention, quality of life or supportive care (look for ways to improve quality of life and manage symptoms of disease and/or treatment), screening studies and laboratory research (detect certain diseases and health conditions).

Please ask your Oncology doctor or nurse if you want more information about Clinical Trials.