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CANCER PATIENTS FROM AROUND THE REGION COME TO THE O ’ NEAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER TO TAKE PART IN CLINICAL RESEARCH
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The medical discoveries of today become the standards of care for tomorrow . This transition is made possible by clinical trials , in which patients are treated with promising new therapies based on these research discoveries .
The O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center takes part in 200 or more clinical trials at any given time that explore a wide range of therapies , diagnostics and preventive measures . As the only National Cancer Institute ( NCI ) -designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Alabama , the O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center is part of the NCI ’ s National Clinical Trials Network . This designation allows some patients to receive cutting-edge cancer treatments that aren ’ t yet available at other medical centers , and it provides valuable research data that can help patients everywhere .
Each year , hundreds of patients from across the region participate in cancer clinical trials at UAB . A few of them share their stories of survival in the following pages .
WRITTEN BY CARY ESTES PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIK LAYMAN PRODUCED BY JULIE COLE MILLER