BACKGROUND: Availability of clinical trials for veterans is limited and more clinical trials are needed. Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) has been actively involved with hematologic oncologic clinical trials over the last 10 years. This poster describes the number and types of hematology/oncology clinical trials that are either active or completed, and the processes of opening clinical trials, identifying patients, and trial management.
METHODS: Locating clinical trials is key to veteran enrollment into active trials and is accomplished through networking at medical meetings and VA work groups. Developing a clinical trial program requires working closely with the research department/foundations and becoming comfortable with the IRB oversight process. Conduct of a clinical trial is a team effort, with individual members having delegated responsibilities of patient care, data collection, and adverse effect reporting to the sponsors and IRB. The CTVHCS Oncology Section has been active in recruiting and enrolling veterans in clinical trials for treatment of many hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.
RESULTS: At the time of this presentation, 49 veterans have been successfully enrolled in 1 of 9 hematology/ oncology clinical trials ranging from phase Ib to phase III from 2011-2020. Advantages to opening clinical trials include academic scholarship, authorship in publications, generating revenue and most importantly to provide state of the art treatment for our cancer patients. We have been able to effectively accrue/enroll patients into clinical trials through a collaborative effort between the research department and our oncology department by identifying open clinical trials that fit our unique patient population and having a team of providers aiding in the management and care of these enrolled veterans.