New Research Center Offers Experimental Cancer Treatments

DENVER (CBS4)- Some cancer patients are getting new hope in Colorado thanks to a new research center offering promising experimental cancer treatments.

The Sarah Cannon Research Institute at HealthOne is located at 1800 Williams Street in Denver.

The institute is a place for targeted car for patients who are not having success with traditional cancer treatments. Instead they offer some of the very latest, to-be-approved cancer treatments.

Jane Ann Johnson has been battling cancer since 2011, first colorectal, then lung, then liver.

After three courses of chemotherapy, Johnson has turned to an experimental drug.

“The treatment is so simple compared to chemo it’s a piece of cake, a walk in the park,” said Johnson.

She takes two small pills, twice a day, two days a week.

“The hope is that it will stop the growth of the tumors,” said Johnson.

She is only the third cancer patient in the country to try the experimental drug.

“I love it. I wear a crown and a cape that says ‘Queen Guinea Pig,'” said Johnson.

She is being treated with the promising new therapy at the recently opened Sarah Cannon Research Institute at HealthOne in Denver.

“Some people refer to this kind of trial or this kind of clinic as a clinic of last resort,” said Dr. Gerald Falchook.

Falchook is a leading investigator with more than 160 cancer studies on his resume.

“There are usually more patients that need a clinical trial than there are openings,” said Falchook.

The new clinic is an expansion of a global research network with more than 20 years of experience. It will serve the Rocky Mountain region sometimes offering “first in human” therapies.

Johnson is optimistic it will help, “It’s a kind of hope and I fully believe it will happen.”

Colorado also has a premier cancer research center, the University of Colorado Cancer Center has been offering clinical trials for about 30 years and conducts nearly 300 trials a year.