Centers of Excellence

St. Alexius Medical Center along with Mid Dakota Cancer Treatment & Research Center participates and supports research to help improve treatment and therapy options our patients have. These clinical trials give access to the most advanced treatments for cancer, often before they have completed the lengthy federal approval process. This ensures that every possible treatment is available as quickly as possible for our patents.

Clinical Research Services has been involved in clinical research since 1987. Our professional staff has over 160 years of combined experience in clinical trials. Our involvement in inpatient and outpatient phase II-IV clinical research studies has contributed substantially to the development of new drugs and treatments for cancer affecting the bladder, breast, colon, lung, melanoma, chemo-induced nausea, neutropenia, prostate, brain, pain, multiple myeloma, and cachexia.

A few trials St. Alexius Clinical Research is involved in are:

• In conjunction with Mid Dakota Cancer Treatment & Research Center involves women with non-small cell lung cancer. It has been observed that the risk of lung cancer is higher in women. This study is evaluating the role of the level of estrogen and the efficacy of an investigational drug on survival rate.
• Another trial being done with Mid Dakota Clinic involves patients with Multiple Myeloma who are not considered candidates for high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantations. It is a three treatment regimen where are all drugs used in this study are FDA approved. It is the combination of the drugs in the study that is being evaluated.
• St. Alexius Medical Center and Clinical Research is conducting a study for men who are asymptomatic prostate cancer patients with a rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Currently, the standard of care is to wait until a patient is symptomatic and then treat with chemotherapy. This study is looking at giving chemotherapy treatments while the patient is asymptomatic to see if there is any improvement in minimizing cancer progression.

For the most up-to-date information on upcoming trials, log onto the Clinical Research pages or call Clinical Research at 701-.530-6950. (use this as the link….it allows them to register for current trials) (www.centerwatch.com/professional/pro508.html)