texas oncology more breakthroughs. more victories
Some of our cancer centers may have important notifications found on the location page. View More Important Notifications x
Request an Appointment

May is National Cancer Research Month

May 25, 2022

When most people think of cancer research, images of microscopes and laboratories come to mind. In reality, our clinical teams are conducting research into tomorrow’s cancer breakthroughs together with our patients every day at many practice locations across Texas. Our research team participates in approximately 200 clinical trials each year involving more than 2,000 patients.

“Until all cancer is cured with minimal toxicity from treatments, research will remain a cornerstone of any oncology practice,” said Scott Paulson, M.D., medical oncologist, and director of clinical research for Texas Oncology. “Simply put, without clinical research, cancer care does not advance.”

Clinical research involves patients who volunteer to participate in trials of investigational drugs, for example, in order to develop a new drug therapy for cancer. Also, discoveries like new combinations of drugs, innovations in radiation therapy, and better screening and diagnosing methods come from clinical trials.

“Today’s standard of care is yesterday’s medicine,” said Linda Dunklin, RN, OCN, CCRP, director of research operations at Texas Oncology said. “We have an obligation to not just treat patients who walk through the door, but to fulfill our promise to do the right thing by advancing care for future generations to come.”

Texas Oncology currently has about 150 research personnel working to identify patients for clinical trials. Many of these researchers are deeply connected to this work. John McMahan, RN, and clinical research coordinator at Texas Oncology–Amarillo said, “I lost my parents to cancer, and I was diagnosed with—and beat—prostate cancer last year, so this work is personal to me.”

While Rita Lopez, clinical research manager at Texas Oncology– Sammons Cancer Center said, “Providing patients and families with hope through clinical trials, including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, is vital in our fight to cure cancer.”

Learn more about Texas Oncology’s ground-breaking cancer research and clinical trials.


For upcoming webinars visit www.TexasOncologyFoundation.org.