Three Disciplines' Views and Approaches to Cancer Research

Clinical Research

Clinical research, as practiced at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, includes research using patients, tissue from patients, cell lines, and animal models. Insights from clinical observations can be followed up with laboratory studies and vice versa.

Areas of clinical research on cancer at FHCRC include:

• Cancer prevention
  
  
• Screening and early detection
  
  
• Development of imaging techniques (CT, PET scans)
  
  
• Therapy improvements
  
  
• Supportive care (infectious disease prevention, nutrition, pain management)
  
  
• Outcomes (economic impact of cancer, cost-effectiveness of treatment)

Challenges in carrying out clinical research:

• Consideration of patient care
  
  
• Heterogeneity of patient population
  
  
• Relative rarity of subjects
  
  
• Limited amount of tumor tissue available
  
  
• Ethical concerns
  
  
• Financial concerns

Clinical Research leading to new Cancer Treatments

adapted from a seminar given by Fred Appelbaum, M.D. 1-97

In his talk, Fred Appelbaum, M.D., described current cancer therapies and the development of new treatments. To illustrate some of the approaches used in development of new therapies including the use of animal models and human clinical trials, he described the development of radioimmunotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Development and testing of new treatments, prevention routines, and diagnostic tools benefits from interactions between basic scientists, clinicians, and public health scientists.

	Approaches
	Cancer Treatments
	Interface