New cancer therapies bringing life-saving results to patients
Over the years, Sally McCowatt has witnessed constant innovation in cancer treatment, with trials offering new hope to patients by providing access to cutting-edge therapies often years before they become widely available. Sally is Royal North Shore Hospital’s Clinical Trials Unit Manager at the Northern Sydney Cancer Centre and has worked with cancer patients for more than 30 years. “I’ve seen trials evolve from very simple ones to the ones we’re doing now, which are quite complex.”
The centre currently runs more than 60 cancer trials annually, including across medical oncology, radiation oncology and haematology. “Every patient coming through our cancer centre is considered for a clinical trial if there’s one available and suitable for the individual,” she says. “We can often offer patients treatments that may not be available for many more years.” The unit also runs a handful of phase I trials. These early-stage studies are often trialling treatment in humans for the first time and need experienced staff to manage and deliver the treatments. Patients are observed closely, often have long days in the day treatment unit and are sometimes admitted to hospital for further observation. As patients on trials are watched very closely, they often build great rapport with their study nurses and trial coordinators who follow them through their cancer trial journey,” says Sally. New horizons Sally says oncologists at the centre specialise in most types of cancer, and there is constant innovation in treatments. The introduction of immunotherapy over the past 10 to 15 years has been revolutionary, as has the rise of targeted therapy, which pinpoints the genetics of the patient’s tumour with specific treatments. After working in cancer clinical trials for so many years, Sally still loves her job. “I enjoy being part of a dynamic, innovative team and seeing the new trials come through to offer hope for our many cancer patients.”
Sally McCowatt
32 Tomorrow’s medicine today
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