Early Cancer Therapeutics Group
The Early Cancer Therapeutics Group at Mayo Clinic offers patients whose cancers haven’t responded to standard chemotherapy or other treatments the opportunity to join an early-phase clinical trial of a potential new treatment.
Early-phase clinical trials (phase I) determine safe dosage levels and safe methods of treatment delivery. A phase I clinical trial might be the first time a cancer drug or treatment is used in people. These clinical trials offer investigational cancer solutions for cancer therapy resistance — trials for patients whose cancers haven’t responded to standard treatments.
The Early Cancer Therapeutics Group provides access to the most current phase I trials available from Mayo Clinic researchers, pharmaceutical companies and the National Cancer Institute. Phase I clinical trials are available at all three Mayo Clinic campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.
Doctors and other members of the Early Cancer Therapeutics Group care team are directly involved in cancer research. Physician-scientists in this group have dedicated their careers to developing new cancer treatments, and they collaborate with medical specialists in all other clinical areas at Mayo Clinic to make sure patients receive exactly the care they need.
Get a list of early cancer therapeutics clinical trials (phase I) at Mayo Clinic.
Get a list of all phases of cancer clinical trials at Mayo Clinic.
Who can be seen
Adults whose cancers haven’t responded to standard chemotherapy or other treatments (treatment resistance, drug resistance or cancer therapy resistance) can be seen by the Early Cancer Therapeutics Group.
Patients must be able to travel to one of the three Early Cancer Therapeutics locations at Mayo Clinic’s campuses in Arizona, Florida or Minnesota for an initial evaluation and clinical trial participation.
What to expect at the initial visit
Patients seen by the Early Cancer Therapeutics Group receive a thorough review of their past care and a consultation about care options and clinical trial participation.
When the care team determines that a specific cancer clinical trial is an option for a patient’s care, the patient is screened to determine eligibility for the trial.
If a patient is eligible to participate in the clinical trial, the care team provides an overview of the patient’s role in the trial and discusses the benefits and risks of participating. When a patient consents to participate in the clinical trial, the care team schedules follow-up appointments at Mayo Clinic as needed.
If an appropriate cancer clinical trial isn’t available yet, the care team places the patient on a waitlist and contacts him or her if an appropriate trial becomes available.