Today We Got Closer

The Cancer Clinical Research Unit enrolls patients in clinical trials, collects patient data and coordinates the efforts of medical professionals involved in their care.

For unit staff, every day is a welcome learning experience, working on the leading edge of research and bearing witness to the power of scientific discovery in patients' lives. The progress of each patient enrolled in Phase I and Phase II clinical trials is reviewed by a Multidisciplinary Team, a collaboration of surgical, radiation and medical oncologists and other medical professionals. Patients benefit from this collaboration. Every medical professional on the team also learns from the patient's experience.

The units' Research Nurse Coordinators work closely with patients and their families, helping them manage side-effects, follow treatment schedules and arrange transportation and accommodations.

They often become like a member of the patient's family themselves. The Nurse Coordinator is a patient advocate, fighting the battle along with the patient, saying, "Okay, we didn't cure the disease today. But we got closer."