OHSU Cancer Institute patients receive early access to cutting-edge research

In addition to receiving care from world-renowned physicians, patients in the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute are also granted access to cutting edge cancer care through clinical trials .

One such clinical trial involves a drug called Ipilimumab. The drug works to stimulate the body’s own immune system to fight prostate cancer. According to the latest research results, the drug was found to be effective in study participants with a serious type of prostate cancer – one where the tumor has spread and was resistant to hormonal treatment and, in some cases, also to chemotherapy.

OHSU Knight Cancer Institute physician Tomasz Beer, M.D. , recently travelled to Chicago to present the latest results for clinical trials on Ipilimumab during the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology.

“From what we have seen, this research shows that the immune system can be useful to treat prostate cancer. Results show that in some patients, the immune system can be successfully harnessed to cause cancer regressions, and that is both exciting and encouraging,” said Beer, the Grover C. Bagby Endowed Chair for Cancer Research, director of the Prostate Cancer Research Program at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, associate professor of medicine (hematology/medical oncology), OHSU School of Medicine .

The clinical trial is for Ipilimumab is being conducted at six sites across the United States. The scientists are determining the safety and efficacy of the drug for prostate cancer patients The researchers are also working to better understand the value of adding radiation as a means to further stimulate the immune response to the tumor.

For more information about this research and other cancer studies at OHSU, visit the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Web site at www.ohsucancer.com