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Located at
Suite 129
Robinwood Medical Center
11110 Medical Campus Rd.
Hagerstown, MD

Contact
1-800-221-1808
301-665-4650

Cancer is uncontrolled cell growth affecting some ten million Americans.* Each year, Washington County Hospital treats close to 1,000 cancer cases. “It’s a lethal disease for many,” said Dr. Scott Wegner, a board-certified internist who specializes in oncology. Wegner is the primary investigator of the clinical cancer trials at Washington County Hospital’s Center for Clinical Research. In the eyes of Wegner, formal research and access to new medicine is essential to cancer treatment.

Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. They are done to examine whether new cancer treatments are safe and effective or enhance standard oncology care. Most of the cancer trials at Washington County Hospital study how drugs can be an adjunctive therapy (add-on) to surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. The theory: if surgery alone doesn’t kill the cancer, the added therapy will eliminate any undetected and remaining cancer cells.

The Center for Clinical Research concentrates on treatment, prevention and supportive care trials sponsored by industry and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Treatment trials typically add a medication to the standard oncology regimen of chemotherapy and radiation. Prevention trials look for better ways to prevent disease in people who have never had it or prevent the disease from returning. Supportive care trials explore ways to improve the quality of life for cancer patients. All Center for Clinical Research trials focus on phases two through four—meaning that the medication or treatment has been studied in thousands of people, or that a medication approved to treat one problem is being examined for its potential to treat a new life-threatening condition.

Patients in Washington and surrounding counties now have access to cutting-edge cancer therapies, eliminating the need to drive to Baltimore or Washington, D.C., for new treatment. Receiving care close to home and within a familiar setting reduces stress in an already stressful situation. Another benefit to cancer research is free experimental treatment and study-related clinic visits, which can mean more involved medical care.

For cancer patients interested in taking part in clinical trials, eligibility is the first step. The type of cancer, its stage, and even a patient’s medical history determine whether a person can participate. Before entering a trial, a clinical research specialist and investigator (doctor) explain the risks and benefits. If the patient agrees to participate in a trial, study visits are similar to routine cancer care. Lab tests, exams, and treatment occur monthly or every other month. Each visit involves time with the clinical research specialist to record condition and progress. A participant can decide to opt out of a clinical trial at any time.

Cancer research makes a difference in the fight against cancer. At one time patients diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer were given fifteen months to live; they can now have a three-year life span. Leukemia, which once had a survival rate of three years, can often be controlled due to new therapies.

If you have cancer, or know someone who has cancer, consider participating in a clinical trial. New trials, including targeted cancer treatments (attacking the cancer source versus the whole body), are continually opening at the Center for Clinical Research. Our research combined with the medical staff and oncology resources at the John R. Marsh Cancer Center give you the spectrum of cancer care right here in Hagerstown. For more information, call 301-790-8596 or 800-411-3901.

* American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org