Department of Medicine

Randall Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., professor of medicine, chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology, and director of the UVM Cancer Center

(MAY 20, 2024) Randall Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., professor of medicine, chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology, and director of the UVM Cancer Center, spoke with WCAX-TV about the more than 100 clinical trials the Cancer Center is currently running.

May 20 is Clinical Trials Awareness Day, an opportunity for medical professionals to educate the public on what’s out there they can participate in, and to dispel myths and misinformation. Doctors at the UVM Medical Center are working to fight cancer and participants in the dozens of clinical trials under way there can help.

The University of Vermont Cancer Center is currently running more than 100 different trials. They range from supportive care trials, like testing new types of anti-nausea medications, to treatment trials where they test new ways to try to treat and cure patients with cancer.

Holcombe says there are always risks with any kind of treatment related to cancer. But he says all of the Cancer Center’s trials have been rigorously reviewed by either the National Cancer Institute or the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that they are of the highest quality. And he says patient safety is a top priority.

“So patients, when they enroll in a clinical trial, can be sure that they’re getting what we feel is the best care available. And they may actually be getting care that future patients may be getting 10 years from now. So it may be an opportunity to get some new therapies,” Holcombe said.