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Jefferson Kimmel Cancer Center Network
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University operate the Jefferson Kimmel Cancer Center Network (JKCCN), a network
of hospitals in the region dedicated to the furthering of clinical research and education in the prevention, diagnosis and
treatment of cancer.
To find out more about current clinical trials that you may be able to participate in, ask your doctor or call 215-955-1661 during regular business hours or 1-800-JEFF-NOW after 5 p.m.
Patients with breast cancer who are experiencing clinical depression may be eligible to participate in a clinical research
study using an antidepressant approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This study is being conducted by Thomas Jefferson
University’s Department of Psychiatry.
Qualified participants will not be charged for their study-related doctor visits, tests and medications, and will receive
compensation for their time and travel. 215-503-2833
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Research
We are at the forefront of cancer research, with major funding from the National Cancer Institute, and we are among the top
two facilities in Philadelphia receiving American Cancer Society funding.
Our research has led to new chemotherapy and radiation treatment plans for patients with certain brain tumors, lung cancers,
colorectal cancer and cancer of the head-and-neck region.
Our researchers also have developed a new test that uses the presence or absence of a specific gene to identify uterine tumors
as benign or malignant. It is especially important for women of childbearing age who have been told they may have cancer and
may need a hysterectomy.
Plus, we are conducting trials of anti-cancer drugs, some available only through our facilities. New therapies and alternate
treatment options available through clinical trials make Jefferson one of the best choices for quality cancer care.
Clinical Trials
The Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson is one of sixty National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers in the nation.
We earned this recognition for excellence through innovative basic science and clinical research programs that have developed
to provide patients access to leading edge clinical care. Our cancer specialists are among the nations most outstanding medical
experts.
Clinical trials are the best way physicians have to translate exciting scientific developments into treatments that will be
valuable to our patients. Participation in clinical trials gives you the benefit of frontline therapies developed by outstanding
researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson as well as from around the country. When laboratory research shows that
a new treatment method has promise, patients with cancer have the opportunity to receive that treatment in clinical trials
or protocols. Clinical trials take research from the laboratory to the patient’s bedside. These trials are designed to answer
important questions such as whether the new approach is safe and effective, and how it compares to the current standard of
care.
What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials test new treatments in people with cancer to find better ways to diagnose, prevent or treat cancer. Clinical
trials test different types of treatment such as new drugs, new approaches to surgery or radiation therapy, new combinations
of treatments, or new methods such as gene therapy or vaccine therapy.
What are the benefits for me?
By participation in a clinical trial, you could have access to a new drug or treatment that is not otherwise available. Your
health care team will include a study coordinator who will work with you and your doctor to ensure that the parameters of
the protocol are met and will be available to you for support during your participation in the clinical trial test.
What are the benefits for others?
Clinical trials allow doctors and researchers to gain information about the benefits, side affects, and possible applications
of new drugs, as well as different combinations, doses and new indications of existing drugs or treatments. If the new treatment
proves effective, it may become the new standard of care and that would benefit many patients. Taking part in a study will
also benefit society if the information gained from research carried out on your clinical specimen (tissue, blood, urine)
is used to improve the way patients with cancer are treated in the future.
Why Participate in a Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Trial?
The Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson has received AAHRPP accreditation. The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. (AAHRPP) promotes the highest quality research through an accreditation process that helps organizations worldwide strengthen their human research protection programs (HRPPs). To earn accreditation, organizations must provide tangible evidence—through policies, procedures, and practices—of their commitment to scientifically and ethically sound research and to continuous improvement. Our AAHRPP accreditation demonstrates that we place a high value on the protection of individuals who participate in research and demonstrates the cancer community’s widely recognized commitment to promoting ethical research, in full compliance with federal regulations and standards.
To find out more about current clinical trials that you may be able to participate in, ask your doctor or call 1-800-JEFF-NOW
or visit our clinical trials database on the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson web site.
