Clinical Trials

Middlesex Hospital's Cancer Center is committed to providing patients with cutting-edge, innovative, state-of-the-art treatment options. Oncology clinical research trials test the effectiveness of new drugs or treatment strategies against current, standard treatments in order to find new and better ways to treat cancer and improve the quality of life for cancer patients.

People who volunteer to take part in cancer clinical research trials play a very important role in advancing our knowledge of how cancer responds to new treatments and why some cancers respond differently. This knowledge allows researchers to tailor cancer treatment in order to better target the cancer and increase the likelihood of a response.

Middlesex Hospital's Cancer Center participates in a wide variety of clinical trials, including National Cancer Institute (NCI) cooperative group oncology programs and industry-sponsored studies. The Cancer Center is a member of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) and the Cancer Trials Support Unit (CTSU), an organization that provides expanded access to oncology clinical trials from across the United States and around the world.

The Cancer Center's Clinical Trials Office (CTO) includes two certified research coordinators, a research nurse, and a certified regulatory specialist. These research professionals work collaboratively with the medical oncologists to ensure that all patients are screened for clinical trials eligibility; that they are provided with education and support before, during, and after treatment; and that the research is conducted according to federal regulations. In order to do this, the CTO works closely with Middlesex Hospital's Institutional Review Board (IRB), a committee that reviews research involving human subjects to ensure that their rights and welfare are protected.

To see a list of currently-available, oncology clinical trials at Middlesex Hospital, click here. For more information about cancer clinical research trials, call Beth Slifer at (860) 358-2058, Mary Raum at (860) 358-2070, or Bertha Robbins at (860) 2085.