Accelerating Access to Breakthrough Cancer Therapies – TAPinto.net

Atlantic Health System Cancer Care is dedicated to providing patients with access to the most promising and life-saving trials, research, and innovations in the communities where they live and work. Cutting-edge initiatives include the following:

In affiliation with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) of Phoenix, AZ, Atlantic Health System Cancer Care has created the nations firstBreakthrough Oncology Accelerator, a pioneering research and clinical collaboration that offers multiple early and late-phase clinical trials, right here in New Jersey. The Accelerator is designed to improve patient access to life-saving therapies through more rapid deployment of new research trials and novel payment mechanisms post-approval, saidEric Whitman, MD, medical director of Atlantic Health System Cancer Care.

The Breakthrough Treatment Center is part of the Breakthrough Oncology Accelerator and offers phase 1 clinical trials using the latest immunotherapies, cell-based therapies and genetic medicine options to cancer patients who have not responded to other treatments. The Center typically accommodates eight to 14 patients daily.

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We treat all patients with advanced cancers and use all kinds of treatment, saidDr. Angela Alistar, medical director of the Breakthrough Treatment Center who came to Morristown Medical Center from Wake Forest University a few years ago. She is widely known for her pioneeringresearch on pancreatic cancer, which has doubled the patient survival rate.

As a physician, I always look for early-phase studies because I know what standard of care can do. Unless I have a curative standard of care treatment, Im not interested. I want to do better. I want to find a clinical trial that combines standard of care with something exciting that has promise. Im always looking for, How can we do better? Thats what this Center is about: Not waiting until the last minute, but giving our patients the best options up front.

Atlantic Health System Cancer Care is also the lead affiliate ofAtlantic Health Cancer Consortium (AHCC), the only New Jersey-based Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Covering 73% of the states population, the AHCC NCORP presents a substantial opportunity to advance scientific understanding of cancer prevention, screening, control, treatment and care delivery research within a large and diverse population, saidMissak Haigentz, MD, medical director of Hematology and Oncology for Atlantic Health System and principal investigator for AHCC NCORP.

To learn more about Atlantic Health System cancer research trials, please go toatlantichealth.org/research

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Accelerating Access to Breakthrough Cancer Therapies - TAPinto.net