FLORIDA CANCER SPECIALISTS CLINICAL TRIALS PROGRAM OFFERS NEW TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR SOUTHWEST FLORIDA CANCER PATIENTS

DR. WILLIAM HARWIN’S PATIENT FRANK MAYES, SHOWN HERE WITH WIFE KAREN, IS NOW ON HIS SECOND CLINICAL TRIAL AND DOING WELL. FRANK CALLS THE TREATMENT “A MIRACLE.”

Imagine that somewhere – right now – inside  a hospital or a research facility – research  scientists are working on a cure for cancer.

That cure could come as a result of a new drug  or therapy currently being investigated as part of  a cancer clinical trial.

Now imagine if you didn’t have to look any  further than your own community in order to be  a part of a national clinical trial offering new and  promising treatment options.

“As a strategic research site for the leading  community-based clinical trial organization in  the nation, Florida Cancer Specialists (FCS)  offers patients more access to clinical trials  than any other oncology practice in the state of  Florida,” said William N. Harwin, MD,  founder  and president of Florida Cancer Specialists &  Research Institute.

Thanks to its partnership with the Nashville,  TN-based Sarah Cannon Research Institute  (SCRI), FCS can offer patients a vast array of  clinical trial opportunities that are traditionally  only available at large academic research hospitals.

By providing clinical trials in local communities,  close to where patients live, patients can avoid  having to travel two or three hours several times  a week to participate in a potentially life-saving  clinical trial.

“Clinical trials are one of the best options we  can offer cancer patients,” said Lowell Hart, MD,  director of Research & Drug Development for FCS.
Every effective treatment, every virtual cure that we  have today began as a clinical trial. And for patients  who are not responding to standard treatment, a  clinical trial can be of tremendous benefit.”

FCS currently offers clinical-trials for many  types of cancer, including: Lung, Pancreatic, Breast,  Colon, Renal, Prostate, Head/Neck, Kidney,  Gastric, Myeloma, Melanoma, Lymphoma &  Leukemia and an Unknown primary site  “Most of our trials are Phase 2 or Phase 3,  which investigate new drugs that have already  shown great promise,” adds Dr. Hart. “We also  have two drug development units in the FCS  network, one in Fort Myers and one in Sarasota.

These locations offer Phase 1 clinical trials, which  are generally first-time use in humans.”

Over the years, countless FCS patients have  benefited from, and in many cases, had their lives saved by, receiving soon-to-be-  FDA-approved medications before they were available to non-clinical-trial patients.

“Before Florida Cancer Specialists came to Southwest Florida, you’d have to  travel to universities or research institutions to receive the kind of cutting-edge  care that’s now available in our own back yard,” says Naples resident Jackie Bearse,  two-time cancer survivor, FCS Foundation board member and founding chair of  the Foundation’s signature fundraiser “Time to Remember.” (See promotional ad on  opposite page for more information about the “Time to Remember” gala.)

ABOUT FLORIDA CANCER SPECIALISTS  & RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Founded in 1984, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) is the  largest independent medical oncology/hematology practice in the United States.

With more than 190 physicians, 130 nurse practitioners and physician assistants  and over 90 locations in our network, we are committed to providing world class  cancer care in community-based settings close to home. Recognized by the  American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) with a national Clinical Trials  Participation Award, FCS offers patients access to more clinical trials than any  private oncology practice in Florida.

ABOUT FLORIDA CANCER SPECIALISTS FOUNDATION

An integral part of the FCS continuum of care is the Florida Cancer Specialists  Foundation. The nonprofit organization helps cancer patients in need with their  non-medical living expenses while undergoing treatment. It enables those fighting  cancer to concentrate on recovery rather than on their overdue rent, mortgage or  utility bills.

The Foundation staff and overhead are paid for by FCS, which means that every  dollar raised by the FCS Foundation goes directly to helping cancer patients in need.