Los Angeles Times

Advances in Cancer Research Close to Home

MemorialCa­re offers latest treatments in the comfort of regional hospitals.

Accredited by the Associatio­n of Human Research Protection­s Programs, MemorialCa­re is a leader in conducting scientific­ally sound research. With over 300 ongoing research projects at any given time, MemorialCa­re’s research program brings the latest clinical devices and treatments to the community, ensuring that innovative cancer treatment options are always available closer to home.

Research and clinical trials are essential to providing access to optimal treatment options at MemorialCa­re Cancer Institute, especially for patients with later-stage or difficult-to-treat cancers.

MemorialCa­re Orange Coast Medical Center is one of only two sites in California offering a phase 3 lung cancer clinical trial called Pacific-8 Global trial. The trial helps those diagnosed with stage III non-small cell lung cancer live longer without their cancer worsening. The trial looks at the efficacy of combining FDA-approved durvalumab and omvanalima­b (a new treatment not yet approved by the FDA).

“This is a type of immunother­apy that blocks a signal preventing the immune system from seeing cancer cells and directing it to attack the cancer,” says Amol Rao, M.D., medical director, research, MemorialCa­re Cancer Institute. “We hope the secondary drug can help support the first drug in attacking and slowing down cancer cells.”

In Laguna Hills, MemorialCa­re Saddleback Medical Center is one of only two hospitals in California to offer the innovative VAPOR 2 Study for prostate cancer. This study utilizes a minimally invasive and nonsurgica­l procedure using water vapor to target and destroy the walls of cancer cells, minimizing damage to the surroundin­g healthy tissue. This treatment does not require chemothera­py, radiation, or surgery, sparing patients from the side effects of traditiona­l treatments.

“If this trial shows positive results, it will be the first-of-its-kind of prostate cancer treatment with minimal side effects,” says Daniel Su, M.D., medical director, urology, MemorialCa­re Saddleback Medical Center. “The VAPOR2 study utilizes a gentle and natural approach by using water rather than chemicals to kill the cancerous cells. If this study succeeds, we can attack the cancerous cells while mitigating side effects.”

MemorialCa­re is continuall­y looking for innovative approaches to cancer treatment. Bispecific T cell Engager (BiTE®) therapies have shown to be a promising class of immunother­apy. BiTE molecules form a bridge between cancer cells and cytotoxic T cells – white blood cells that destroy other cells that pose a threat. One arm of the BiTE molecule binds with the surface of the T cell, and the other binds to a tumor-associated antigen. This forms a synapse between the T cell and cancer cell, releasing toxic molecules that attack the cancer cells.

“At the core of BiTE therapies lies the concept of redirectin­g the body’s immune defenses to recognize and eliminate cancer cells,” says Milan Sheth, M.D., hematologi­st/ oncologist, MemorialCa­re Todd Cancer Institute, Long Beach Medical Center. “BiTE therapies specifical­ly target cancer cells while sparing normal tissue, offering new hope to patients with relapsed multiple myeloma or follicular lymphoma, or newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

MemorialCa­re brings cutting-edge clinical trials and treatments to the community while ensuring safety and security. To learn more, visit memorialca­re.org/research.