Accredited by the Association of Human Research Protections Programs, MemorialCare is a leader in conducting scientifically sound research. With over 300 ongoing research projects at any given time, MemorialCare’s research program brings the latest clinical devices and treatments to the community, ensuring that innovative cancer treatment options are always available closer to home.
Research and clinical trials are essential to providing access to optimal treatment options at MemorialCare Cancer Institute, especially for patients with later-stage or difficult-to-treat cancers.
MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center is one of only two sites in California offering a phase 3 lung cancer clinical trial called Pacific-8 Global trial. The trial helps those diagnosed with stage III non-small cell lung cancer live longer without their cancer worsening. The trial looks at the efficacy of combining FDA-approved durvalumab and omvanalimab (a new treatment not yet approved by the FDA).
“This is a type of immunotherapy that blocks a signal preventing the immune system from seeing cancer cells and directing it to attack the cancer,” says Amol Rao, M.D., medical director, research, MemorialCare Cancer Institute. “We hope the secondary drug can help support the first drug in attacking and slowing down cancer cells.”
In Laguna Hills, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center is one of only two hospitals in California to offer the innovative VAPOR 2 Study for prostate cancer. This study utilizes a minimally invasive and nonsurgical procedure using water vapor to target and destroy the walls of cancer cells, minimizing damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. This treatment does not require chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery, sparing patients from the side effects of traditional treatments.
“If this trial shows positive results, it will be the first-of-its-kind of prostate cancer treatment with minimal side effects,” says Daniel Su, M.D., medical director, urology, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center. “The VAPOR2 study utilizes a gentle and natural approach by using water rather than chemicals to kill the cancerous cells. If this study succeeds, we can attack the cancerous cells while mitigating side effects.”
MemorialCare is continually looking for innovative approaches to cancer treatment. Bispecific T cell Engager (BiTE®) therapies have shown to be a promising class of immunotherapy. BiTE molecules form a bridge between cancer cells and cytotoxic T cells – white blood cells that destroy other cells that pose a threat. One arm of the BiTE molecule binds with the surface of the T cell, and the other binds to a tumor-associated antigen. This forms a synapse between the T cell and cancer cell, releasing toxic molecules that attack the cancer cells.
“At the core of BiTE therapies lies the concept of redirecting the body’s immune defenses to recognize and eliminate cancer cells,” says Milan Sheth, M.D., hematologist/oncologist, MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute, Long Beach Medical Center. “BiTE therapies specifically target cancer cells while sparing normal tissue, offering new hope to patients with relapsed multiple myeloma or follicular lymphoma, or newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
MemorialCare brings advanced clinical trials and treatments to the community while ensuring safety and security. To learn more about these studies, visit memorialcare.org/research.