Staff reports

A new colorectal polyp prevention study has opened at The Phoebe Cancer Center for patients who have had surgery for early stage colon cancer. The study, “Statin Polyp Prevention Trial in Patients with Resected Colon Cancer” will be investigating a statin drug in reducing the risk of recurrence of colon cancer following surgery. Patients who had surgery for early stage colon cancer up to one year prior are eligible.

The new study is offered through the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), a not-for-profit clinical trials cooperative group of scientists, physicians, research sites and universities that conducts cancer studies and oversees data collection headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. Through grants from the National Cancer Institute and in part from the Tobacco Settlement Act, the NSABP has designed and conducted clinical trials for more than 50 years that have changed the standard of treatment in breast and colorectal cancer.

Phoebe Cancer Center, through the NSABP, is one of more than 400 sites throughout North America conducting the P5 study. A total of 1,740 patients will eventually be enrolled.

Phoebe Oncologist Jose Tongol is the principal investigator of the new P5 Colon Study and certified oncology nurse Rita Cox is heading the study.

“The P5 study is important for our region in looking at a possible way to reduce the risk of colon cancer recurrence,” said Steve Ziemba, director of Clinical Research and Tumor Registry at Phoebe.

For more information regarding the P5 Colon Study, contact the Research Department at 229-312-0405.