Clinical Trials for Stomach Cancer

Clinical Trials Info Sheet
What you need to know about clinical trials.

What are clinical trials?

Clinical trials are the final stages of cancer research that assess a potential new drug or therapy that’s already been studied extensively in the laboratory. Trials are carefully monitored scientific studies that involve patients and offer the earliest access to these newest treatment options. Trials are conducted to determine a drug’s proper dose, how well it works and whether it’s more effective than current standard treatments. All drugs and treatment approaches currently used as standard of care were once studied in clinical trials.

Why it matters

Participating in a clinical trial is the only way to access the very latest options, oftentimes years before they become available to other providers. If you have cancer, you need the very best treatment today, not years from now.

For example, the drug pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda) was approved in 2017 for patients whose tumors exhibit a certain feature known as mismatch repair deficiency. Roswell Park patients had access to this drug more than a year earlier through a clinical trial that was conducted here.

What options are available to stomach cancer patients?

The robust research program at Roswell Park provides our patients with more ways to maximize their survival, including access to:

  • A new approach that adds a cardiac drug known as a beta blocker, to standard chemotherapy and an immunotherapy drug. The beta blocker, which affects blood flow, is intended to counteract the immune-suppressing effect of stress.
  • A new use for an existing drug. A drug that’s approved for use with other cancers is being studied for effectiveness against stomach cancer in patients whose tumor shows certain gene mutations.
  • A new combination of therapies, such as adding a monoclonal antibody that inhibits blood vessel growth to standard chemotherapy regimens or evaluating an immunotherapy drug in combination with radiation therapy.
Available clinical trials

Roswell Park opens new clinical trials every day. Learn more about our clinical trials for stomach cancer or call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355). Talk to your physician about upcoming trials not yet listed here that might be right for you.

Clinical trials for stomach cancer

Stomach cancer research and future treatments

As a cancer research powerhouse, Roswell Park places a strong emphasis on translational research — speeding new discoveries from the laboratory to the clinic to help patients as quickly as possible. Among our recent discoveries:

Image of chest and abdominal cavity with stomach cancer highlighted

Sensitivity to Chemotherapy May Guide Treatment of Patients with Stomach Cancer

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Beta blockers with stethoscope

Stress Receptors Explored as Possible Immune Checkpoint, Suggesting Role for Beta-Blockers in Cancer Treatment

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gastroesophageal cancer

Roswell Park Experts Highlight Opportunities to Improve Outcomes for People with Gastroesophageal Cancer

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