Despite advancements, existing cancer treatment options are still limited, particularly for difficult-to-treat cancers such as pancreatic cancer, which is often diagnosed at an advanced stage.
The need for discovering and bringing innovative approaches to cancer care is imperative. Researchers at the McGill Centre for Translational Research in Cancer (MCTRC) are dedicated to this mission. Clinical research is an essential step in bringing the discoveries made in our laboratory to patients in need.
Here is a unique clinical trial story of a patient diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer, and her treating physician, Dr. Gerald Batist, a clinician/ researcher and the Director of the MCTRC as well as the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH).
As they take us on their inspiring journey of an N of 1 study (a clinical trial in which a single patient is the entire trial)evaluating a novel immunotherapeutic agent, we explore the impact that a clinical trial could have – not only for the individual patient, but also on a national and international level, touching the lives of many more patients.
This immunotherapeutic agent, Saltikva, is an attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium containing the human gene IL-2. The approach of using bacteria as a vehicle to deliver an immune-activating agent is beyond any type of cancer therapy we have in our arsenal.
More information on the Phase II trial can be found at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04589234.
Production of this video was financially supported by the McGill Centre for Translational Research in Cancer (MCTRC) through its endowment funds and by the Quebec Cancer Consortium for Novel Therapeutics and Biomarkers (QCC) through its Fonds d’accélération des collaborations en santé (FACS) from the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation (MEI) du Québec.
The MCTRC is an extensive network of oncology researchers working together in developing and bringing novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools to cancer patients. The QCC is a collaborative network of major hospitals in Quebec and their research centres whose aim is to improve practices in clinical and translational research.
