Immunotherapy, a treatment that frees the immune system to attack cancer, has produced remarkable results in some patients. But it doesn’t work for everyone. That’s why MD Anderson researchers are combining immunotherapy with other treatments, so more patients can benefit.
Annual Report 2018 : Alliances expand reach, add diversity to clinical trials
Cancer clinical trials made stronger by cancer network collaborations
The benefits extended to members of MD Anderson Cancer Network go beyond the clinic and include access to important cancer clinical trials.
MD Anderson surgeon Reza Mehran, M.D., went to Honolulu to assist in Chang’s surgery.
The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu was founded in 1859 by Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV, rulers of what was then the Kingdom of Hawai’i. Today, Queen’s is the largest private hospital in the state, with a Level I trauma center and more than 500 acute-care beds.
Its comprehensive cancer care program, known as The Queen’s Cancer Center, treats more than 2,500 new patients every year, the most of any hospital in the Pacific Rim. That level of expertise and long history of clinical excellence in cancer care, combined with the hospital system’s geographic area, made Queen’s a great fit as a certified member of MD Anderson Cancer Network.
A certified member since 2015, Queen’s benefits from MD Anderson’s unrivaled expertise by following the institution’s renowned treatment guidelines and multidisciplinary approach. It’s one of 17 health systems and hospitals in 15 states that share a certified-level relationship with MD Anderson in the cancer network, which was created to help advance the mission of eliminating cancer beyond Houston to communities across Texas, the nation and around the globe.
And the mutual benefits of the unique relationship extend beyond the clinic. Cancer patients arrive at Queen’s from every corner of the Pacific Rim, making it an invaluable resource for clinical trial collaborations with MD Anderson researchers.
In the past year, Queen’s has partnered with MD Anderson in launching four clinical trials that focus on multiple cancer types, including breast and ovarian cancer. The diversity of the patient population that Queen’s serves results in studies that are more comprehensive.
“Queen’s represents an important part of our portfolio, because of their patient profile,” explains Robert Coleman, M.D., professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine and the executive director of Research for the cancer network. “They serve a lot of Pacific Islanders, which we really don’t treat often at MD Anderson.”
Coleman and other leaders oversee the network’s research team, which is responsible for protocol review, integration and strategic management of all clinical research for network members. MD Anderson’s collaboration with Queen’s offers a glimpse of the kind of research partnerships that are possible through the cancer network.
By the Numbers: MD Anderson Cancer Network
7
Partners in 5 states
17
Certified members in 15 states
2
Partner affiliates
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