Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, M.D.

Ghassan Abou-Alfa, M.D., a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the basics of clinical trials, and why participation in them is important.

Clinical trials play a vital role in moving the field of oncology forward. They assesses the safety of a drug, how effective it is in treating the disease and how it works compared to the current standard of care. Since some rarer cancers — like fibrolamellar cancer – do not have standards of care, phase 1 and phase 2 trials will suffice, and patient participation can be even more important.

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Clinical trials are essential in improving treatment in the world of oncology, especially for rare cancers.

Clinical Trials: Know the Basics

Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, M.D., medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the future of combining local and systemic therapy to treat liver cancer.

Currently, there is a divide between local (delivered directly to the tumor) therapy and systemic (given throughout the whole body) therapy in the treatment of liver cancer. However, Abou-Alfa said, "This is about marriage, not divorce," between the two treatment methods, and expects combination regimens to emerge on the scene.

Can local and systemic therapies be combined to treat liver cancer?

Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, M.D.

Clinical Trials: Know the Basics

Combining Local and Systemic Therapies in Liver Cancer

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