THOMASVILLE — Archbold Medical Center’s Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center is quickly becoming a regional destination for cancer patients seeking innovative clinical trials.

The hospital recently became the first site open with the first patient enrolled with bladder cancer in the Phase III trial of ipilumumab and nivolumab versus cisplatin and gemcitabine in metastatic bladder cancer. This trial is one of several that Archbold is participating in to pioneer new and emerging cancer treatments for patients from any region.

“The trial for treating metastatic bladder cancer is being conducted with pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb, and will help determine if  immunotherapy, versus  the current chemotherapy that is standard for bladder cancer treatment, is more effective,” said Archbold medical oncologist Teresa Coleman, MD.

“The benefit of this therapy is that it is much less toxic than traditional chemotherapy,” Coleman said.

During the trial, both the immunotherapy is administered intravenously every three weeks. Dr. Coleman said that the regimen has shown such promise that it is now in phase three of research.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, clinical trials go through four phases of testing. In phase three, treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.

In phase four, studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug’s effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.

“Archbold has partnered with pharmaceutical companies on clinical trials for five years, building their positive reputation as a research facility,” said Coleman, who serves alongside medical oncologist Josh Simmons, MD, as medical director of clinical trials.

“This helps our patients, so they don’t have to travel great distances to receive the treatment,” Simmons said. “They can gain access to the latest and greatest medications, and the trials are an outlet for new medications to become the standard of care.”

Another recent trial at Archbold researched the treatment of breast cancer, and included the first male breast cancer patient that the trial had been able to include. Simmons said that by leading these trials, Archbold can give patients quicker access to medications that aren’t yet widely available.

“We’re comparing the newest medication against the standard,” Simmons said, explaining that research conducted at Archbold is setting the medical industry standard. “Patients are already getting the best medication there is, but they’re also getting access to treatment that could work even better.”

In addition to the multiple studies conducted with pharmaceutical companies, Archbold also recently began a partnership with Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute, which will allow them to participate in innovative research trials in collaboration with other medical centers as part of a cooperative group.

Both Simmons and Coleman are excited about the access to new medication, that patients may have previously traveled to large academic medical centers in Atlanta, Augusta or Gainesville, Florida to find.

“To allow our patients to stay in town is crucial,” Simmons said. “Some of these patients are really too sick to travel.”

“Look at what you have in your own community,” Coleman added. “Don’t make the assumption that just because you’re in a small town, you don’t have access to these types of programs.”