Advanced cancer care options close to home
For people facing cancer, every choice feels heavy. Traveling long distances for treatment can add another burden, especially when you don’t feel well. At Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) at SIU Medicine, patients and families across central and southern Illinois can access advanced treatments, clinical trials and the support of a care team they already know and trust.
“Convenience matters,” said Kathy Robinson, PhD, associate professor and director of clinical trials for SCI. “Having trials available locally is extremely important. When patients are already feeling poorly, they don’t want long car rides to start over with a new provider. Being able to stay close to home makes all the difference.”
New options through clinical trials
Simmons Cancer Institute offers nearly a dozen clinical trials for different cancer types, including lung, breast, multiple myeloma and urothelial cancers. Patients who enroll in a study have options they might not find elsewhere. These include:
• New drugs that target cancer cells while limiting side effects
• Immunotherapy and vaccine-like treatments that enhance the body’s ability to fight cancer
• Combinations of standard and experimental therapies designed to improve outcomes
• Studies focused on better ways to detect and track cancer over time
One of the most accessible studies is a biomarker trial. More than 500 people have already enrolled, helping researchers find better ways to diagnose cancer earlier and more accurately.
Patients with metastatic breast cancer can join another promising study. This therapy is designed to target tumor cells while amplifying the immune system response, teaching the body to recognize and attack cancerous cells. Unlike many trials that are limited to very narrow groups, this study is open to a wider range of patients.
“These trials give people hope,” Robinson said. “Even if someone has already tried several treatments, we can often provide another option that might make a difference.”
Walking through the decision together
Deciding whether to join a clinical trial is a big step. Robinson and her team spend as much time as necessary with each patient and family, going over details. Consent forms are received in advance and reviewed, page by page, with the care team.
“We want patients and families to have time to read, highlight, ask questions and feel comfortable with their decision,” Robinson said. “Our goal is to keep them safe first and to give them the best chance for more time and better outcomes.”
For Robinson, the most rewarding moments are when a trial truly changes a patient’s life. She remembers an older woman anxious about her future, much like her own mother, who came to SIU Medicine with advanced metastatic cancer and was told she might have only six months to live. Enrolled in a trial that combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy, the woman not only survived, she is cancer-free nine years later.
“She is my miracle patient,” Robinson said. “That’s what I wish for every patient—that the trial we offer becomes their breakthrough.”
Teamwork for every trial
Within SIU Medicine, the Center for Clinical Research (CCR) helps behind the scenes to make these opportunities possible. Center staff support doctors and researchers with study design, compliance, data management and more.
“Thanks to a longstanding commitment by SCI leadership, Dr. Kathy Robinson, and the cancer clinical trial team, our faculty are able to offer unique treatment options for our patients,” said Dr. Joseph Milbrandt, Director, Center for Clinical Research. “This collaborative effort ensures that families in central and southern Illinois have access to innovative therapies right here in our community.”
Looking ahead
Cancer research continues to evolve, and Simmons Cancer Institute is preparing for what’s next. Researchers are studying blood tests that could detect cancer or recurrences earlier, and new therapies that deliver drugs directly to tumors to reduce side effects.
“I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and every year there is progress,” Robinson said. “Our hope is always the same—that one of these trials will be the magic bullet for a patient. We want more miracles.”
For more information about clinical trials at SIU Medicine, call the Center for Clinical Research at 217-545-9700 or complete our online recruitment survey here: Patient Recruitment Survey.
