In honor of Clinical Trials Awareness Day on May 20, Cancer Center experts highlight the benefits of clinical trials for patients and communities.
Vermont Business Magazine Every year, hundreds of adults and children from Vermont and northern New York enroll or participate in clinical trials at University of Vermont Cancer Center, providing them with local access to groundbreaking treatments while advancing cancer care and delivery for patients in the region and nationwide.
To celebrate National Cancer Research Month and Clinical Trials Awareness Day on May 20, UVM Cancer Center is honoring the investigators, staff, and patients whose participation makes this work possible.
“Clinical trials today offer hope and become the proven treatments of tomorrow for those patients facing a cancer diagnosis,” said Christa Varnadoe, DNP, AGNP-C, OCN, CCRP, administrative director of the Cancer Clinical Trials Office and an associate professor at the University of Vermont Robert Larner, MD College of Medicine. “We are committed to bringing groundbreaking clinical trials to the communities we serve and driving scientific progress to improve and save lives.”
Clinical trials impact the lives of thousands of patients
In 2024, UVM Cancer Center participated in more than 100 clinical trials and helped thousands of patients enroll in trials involving interventional, observational and behavioral therapies that advance the leading-edge cancer care the Center provides.
This work included:
- 185 clinical trials open to accrual addressing more than a dozen different kinds of cancers, including several for lung, breast, and skin—the most prevalent and deadly cancers in UVMCC’s catchment area.
- 427 patients enrolled in an interventional clinical trial in 2024
- 122,105 interventional, observational, and behavioral trial enrollments in 2024
- 25 new Therapeutic Clinical Trial Activations since August 2024
- 86% Increase in the number of clinical therapeutic trial accruals since 2024
Developing unique therapies tailored to patients’ needs
No two cancers are alike, due to each person's unique combination of genes and molecules. Clinical trials are a critical tool in the search for treatments that can be tailored to specific cancer types, subtypes, and even individual patients.
"As an academic medical center, we’re part of a network of nationally recognized research institutions offering a wide range of trials focused on the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer,” said Steven Ades, MD, director of the Cancer Clinical Trials Office and a professor at UVM Larner College of Medicine. “One example of leading-edge research that aims to improve our patients’ quality of life is a one-of-a-kind study focused on significantly improving severe hot flashes in men who are undergoing hormonal therapy for prostate cancer. That study will be underway later this year.”
Access to groundbreaking treatments for patients throughout our rural region
While the national rate of people dying from cancer is trending downward, rural patients are up to 17% more likely to die from conditions such as colon cancer, lung cancer and other diseases. This makes clinical trials at UVM Cancer Center a critical resource for rural communities, which make up 89% of communities in Vermont and northern New York served by the Center.
“If you are diagnosed with cancer and live in a remote area of Vermont or northern New York, you can participate in a potentially life-saving clinical trial at UVM Cancer Center. You don’t have to travel to Boston or New York City for treatment,” said Jessica Heath, MD, associate director for Clinical and Translational Research at UVM Cancer Center and an associate professor at UVM Larner College of Medicine. “This is especially important for our pediatric oncology patients, many of whom are enrolled in clinical trials, and for whom receiving treatment close to home is a huge relief for the whole family.”
In 2024, Dr. Heath oversaw a groundbreaking clinical trial involving several rural patients at UVM Cancer Center and UVM Children’s Hospital. The trial treated children diagnosed with standard-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with a promising immunotherapy drug. The trial was developed by the Children’s Oncology Group – a member of the NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) and the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research. Its impact could change the standard of care for ALL patients.
About the University of Vermont Cancer Center
Founded in 1974, the University of Vermont Cancer Center is Vermont’s only not-for-profit comprehensive clinical and research cancer center. Our mission is to reduce the burden of cancer in northeastern New York, Vermont and northern New England through research, outstanding clinical care, community outreach, and education.
About The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital
The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital provides high-quality, child-friendly care with a patient and family-centered approach that improves the health of children throughout Vermont and northern New York. Our mission, in partnership with the UVM Larner College of Medicine, extends beyond our hospital walls into the communities we serve to provide innovative services, treatments and procedures to the youngest and often most vulnerable patients. The UVM Children’s Hospital is fully accredited by the Children’s Hospital Association. For more information, please visit www.uvmhealth.org/childrens or contact us at 802-847-0000.
About the Children’s Oncology Group
COG (childrensoncologygroup.org), a member of the NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), is the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research. COG unites over 10,000 experts in childhood cancer at more than 200 leading children’s hospitals, universities, and cancer centers across North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia in the fight against childhood cancer. Today, more than 80% of the 15,000 children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States are cared for at COG member institutions. Research performed by COG institutions over the past 50 years has transformed childhood cancer from a virtually incurable disease to one with a combined 5-year survival rate of 86%. COG’s mission is to improve the cure rate and outcomes for all children with cancer.
5.19.2025. Burlington, VT – The University of Vermont Health Network UVMHealth.org
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