Small Bowel Cancer Research

Cancer researchers at Winship — the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Georgia — lead the way in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of small bowel cancer. This means our work directly benefits the patients who participate in our clinical trials.

Small bowel cancer is rare, and its symptoms — such as abdominal pain or nausea — are similar to other noncancerous conditions. This means small bowel cancer tends to be diagnosed in advanced stages. That’s why research into how to detect the disease earlier and novel therapies that offer the most effective treatment are important.

At Winship, we’re pioneering studies in peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), a hyper-targeted treatment for some small bowel tumors, and combining PRRT with other therapies to increase the effectiveness of treating inoperable tumors.

Investigators at Winship are also researching:

• Risk factors for small bowel cancer, such as lifestyle factors and conditions such as Crohn’s disease and Lynch syndrome.
• Improving diagnostics.
• Minimally invasive treatments.
• Genetic profiles of small bowel cancer tumors.
• Proton and targeted therapies.
• Strategies to improve early detection.

Clinical trials offer patients access to new treatments not available through standard clinical practice — or perhaps anywhere else. Enrolling in a trial is completely voluntary. Talk with your medical care team to see if a clinical trial might be an option for your type of small bowel cancer. Clinical trials led by Winship researchers occur in four phases:

• Phase I trials test new drugs, new combinations of two or more drugs, and devices or procedures to find out how safe they are, what the best dose is and how to identify possible side effects.
• Phase II trials further evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a drug, device or procedure Researchers keep track of any medical benefits and side effects.
• Phase III trials compare the new drug or procedure with a current standard treatment or procedure to see which works the best. Evaluation of side effects and effectiveness continues.
• Phase IV trials continue to study the safety of a drug or procedure after it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and made available to the public.

As a Winship patient, you might be eligible to join a clinical trial. Your medical care team can match you with one that fits your diagnosis. Most clinical trials are an addition to standard therapy, so you don’t have to choose one over the other. All trials are based in Georgia, but we welcome participants from throughout the state and beyond.

Winship leads research at four locations in Georgia:

• Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University (Clifton campus)
• Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown
• Winship at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital
• Emory Proton Therapy Center