At the Abramson Cancer Center, science and innovation are turning the tide on genitourinary (GU) and urologic cancers. As one of the largest clinical trial programs in the U.S., our physician-scientists lead the way in the development of new, safer treatments. These breakthroughs have not only meant cures for the incurable, but long lives lived to the fullest.
See Penn Medicine’s current cancer clinical trials.
Why Cancer Clinical Trials Matter
Cancer clinical trials give people access to groundbreaking therapies and treatments. These new advances occur every day at the Abramson Cancer Center, and even greater discoveries are on the horizon.
Through clinical trials:
- Cancer diagnosis is more accurate.
- Treatments are safer and more successful.
- Cancer survivors are living longer and better.
GU and Urological Cancer Clinical Trials: The Abramson Cancer Center Advantage
Researchers in our active genitourinary cancer clinical trials program have been instrumental in developing now-standard therapies for GU cancers. Their leadership roles help them continue to improve care through innovative research, giving hope to people who were previously out of options.
Our excellence in clinical trials has led to our participation in important work for the National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Trials Network. Our patients can count on access to the latest and most promising advances in GU cancer.
GU Cancer Research Spotlight
Proton Therapy for Testicular Cancer
We have ongoing clinical trials using proton therapy to treat testicular cancer. Proton therapy is a type of radiation treatment where proton beams are custom-designed to fit the shape of the tumor. This unique ability makes proton therapy more precise and safer than other radiation therapies.
Proton therapy allows our doctors to use lower doses of radiation, which decreases the risk for radiation side effects. Learn more about proton therapy for testicular cancer.
Cryoablation for Prostate Cancer
Through this prostate cancer clinical trial, we are treating some cancers with cryoablation. Cryoablation is a minimally invasive procedure that uses liquid nitrogen or argon gas to freeze and destroy cancer cells. Cryosurgery gives eligible patients another option when standard therapies don’t work.
Learn more about tumor ablation.
CAR T Cell Therapy for Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Our researchers helped develop CAR T (chimeric antigen receptor T) cell therapy, a type of immunotherapy that is FDA-approved to treat certain forms of leukemia and lymphoma. One prostate cancer clinical trial is now exploring how CAR T cell therapy can benefit people with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer continues to spread despite treatment with hormone therapy.
CAR T cell therapy engineers your body’s T cells — white blood cells that fight infection —to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Learn more about CAR T cell therapy.
Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Clinical Trials
Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer is in the bladder’s lining and has not spread. Typically, we treat these cancers with transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) to remove the tumor. Then, patients often get intravesical therapy, where doctors put chemotherapy or immunotherapy drugs directly into the bladder.
The next treatment option for cancers that don’t respond to these standard therapies is usually cystectomy (bladder removal surgery). But at the Abramson Cancer Center, we offer several bladder cancer clinical trials to treat these cancers without cystectomy, so patients can keep their bladders.
Learn more about bladder cancer treatments.
Metastatic Kidney Cancer Clinical Trials
Our doctors have helped develop some of the standard treatments for metastatic kidney cancer (kidney cancer that has spread to other areas of the body). They are continuing this work through kidney cancer clinical trials designed to improve and increase the therapies available to treat metastatic disease.
Learn more about kidney cancer treatments.
TumorGlow® Trial
One of our urological cancer clinical trials is investigating an exciting technique to improve prostate, bladder and kidney cancer surgery outcomes. Intraoperative molecular imaging, or TumorGlow, makes hard-to-find tumors light up during surgery. Surgeons can then more easily remove these hidden tumors while sparing healthy tissue.
Learn more about TumorGlow technology.
Developmental Therapeutics Program
Our Developmental Therapeutics Program studies promising new drugs or drug combinations to treat cancer. This research continues to improve and increase treatment options for GU cancers, while improving quality of life.
Researchers rigorously test the safety and effectiveness of these new therapies in early phase (phase I and phase II) clinical trials for bladder, prostate, kidney and testicular cancers.
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