Why Clinical Trials May Offer More for Patients With GI Cancers

Dr. Suneel Kamath, a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and an assistant professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, sat down for an interview with CURE.

During the discussion, he explained what he wants patients to understand about participating in clinical trials for their gastrointestinal cancers. Additionally, he imparted key updates from this years 2026 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in another article from CURE!

Transcript

How do you address patient concerns on the topic of clinical trial participation? What do you want patients to understand about the potential benefits of the experience?

The biggest thing I always try to emphasize for people regarding clinical trials in the cancer space is that you are never going to be a "guinea pig." That is often a fear many people have, and it is very understandable. In cancer clinical trials, active treatment is always given; patients receive at least the routine standard of care that we provide today. You are not going to get less treatment than you should; there is really only the opportunity to potentially get more. I would view it through that lens, that it is a potential advantage, really.

The other thing I would emphasize is that while it might feel very new or like you are taking a big risk, I always like to remind people that every medication we use today was originally studied in a clinical trial. Before the FDA approved these treatments, some people had access to those drugs years before anyone else because they participated in a trial. So, while it certainly feels risky and scary in many ways, it is often a great way for people to get access to newer therapies before they are otherwise available.

I also emphasize that being in a clinical trial is never a coercive situation. If at any point it no longer makes sense for you, you can pull out at any time. Generally, these days, we are designing these trials in a great way where there is usually some sort of biomarker or a good rationale for why a drug will work in a certain disease or for a certain person. I would very much encourage people to look for clinical trials. I think it is often a pathway toward living longer and having better outcomes. We definitely need to achieve that for people today, while also learning how we can do things better for tomorrow.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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