ONS Connect - December 2008 - (Page 11) Lora Wilson, RN, BSN, OCN®, says that community research gives patients access to cutting-edge treatments without removing them from their support networks at home. Mr. A says, “I told him, ‘Son, I moved out here to get away from the big city, and my doctor tells me that I can get a lot of the same treatments here as part of a clinical trial. I can even get that new medicine for prostate cancer you sent me an e-mail about right here in town. I’m staying put!’” Bringing New Treatments to the Community Patients with cancer want to receive the best possible therapies for their disease. Until every patient can be cured with minimal adverse effects, we cannot be satisfied with the currently available treatments and must continually conduct clinical research trials to test and refine new therapies. However, not all patients are able to travel to large, academic medical centers to participate in studies. Fortunately, community-based research networks can be found throughout the country, offering patients access to new treatment options no matter where they live. ONS member Lora Wilson, RN, BSN, OCN®, a research nurse at Oregon Health and Sciences Cancer Institute, has extensive experience in the community setting and can speak to the benefits of providing access to clinical trials to patients outside the academic setting. “Travel is a significant hardship for folks,” Wilson says. “Treatment often takes an entire day, if not two, necessitating hotel costs. And we all know the cost of gas these days! Beyond that, traveling to a far-away facility removes many patients from the support network they desperately need when in the throes of advanced disease. In general, the closer to home patients can be, the better.” Some of the major activities of a research nurse involve connecting physicians and patients with clinical trial options at the right time, offering education about the study to ensure informed consent, and managing patients’ cliniDecember 2008 ONS CONNECT 11
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