“If you look at all clinical trials, phase 1 clinical trials are the crown jewel. This phase is the most challenging and most rewarding because it's high risk, but high reward.”

- Shou-Ching Tang, MD, Director of Phase I Clinical Trials 

Phase 1 clinical trials are a crucial aspect of cancer research. They’re the first phase that involves people, helping to determine a safe dosage of medication for patients. They’re also necessary to move through phases 2 and 3, attain FDA approval, and reach patients. 

Within the cancer community, phase 1 clinical trials are a sign of excellence in a cancer center. 

Shou-Ching Tang, MD, Director of Phase 1 Clinical Trials at LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, knows this phase of clinical trials well, as he’s been working on them for nearly 30 years. He was also responsible for starting the phase 1 clinical trial program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

This experience is one of the reasons he was recruited to be a part of LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center in 2023 — to build a phase 1 clinical trial program from the ground up. 

Dr. Tang is tasked with establishing and directing the phase 1 clinical trials program to host quality studies and change patient lives right here in Louisiana. He is also responsible for attracting sponsors, who will fund trials. 

Not all cancer centers have phase 1 clinical trials. They demand a robust program, with high levels of support, resources, and expertise. “If you run a successful phase 1 program, your center will be known nationally as a center of excellence,” says Dr. Tang. 

The wheels are already in motion for the phase 1 clinical trials program at LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, with the goal of becoming operational by the spring/summer of 2024. Here’s a look at how this program will benefit patients and researchers in our community. 

How Phase 1 Clinical Trials Benefit Patients

Clinical trials provide extensive benefits to cancer research. They help move treatments, medical devices, surgical approaches, and more toward FDA approval — a crucial part of saving lives from cancer.

However, patients are at the center of clinical trials, and they also have the most at stake. Some wonder what benefits clinical trials — particularly in phase 1 — provide to patients when the risk is higher compared to later phases. 

Patients who participate in phase 1 clinical trials are in a unique position. They must fail standard cancer care first, but also be in good enough health to undergo a clinical trial. “They don't have any option left, but they’re not ready for hospice,” explains Dr. Tang. 

Clinical trials offer another option as well as access to potentially groundbreaking treatments. If the treatment works, it can be life-saving. 

“If the treatment doesn't work, we'll make sure they don't suffer as a result of getting treatment that isn't of use to them,” explains Dr. Tang. “They'll be under close observation and well taken care of.” In fact, the level of care patients receive in phase 1 is significantly more extensive than in other phases and standard cancer care. In some cases, appointments are up to every other day. 

On a larger scale, clinical trials at every stage help future patients with cancer — even if the treatment doesn’t work. Each patient contributes crucial information and research to advancing cancer treatment. “I have patients that call me and say, I was involved in this one trial, and the drug is approved,” he says. “They feel very achieved and accomplished.”

The phase 1 clinical trial program will be an incredible asset to patients in the Louisiana area. It will provide access to new cancer treatments right in their backyard, with a health system they already trust. 

Phase 1 Clinical Trials at LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center

The phase 1 clinical trials program is not yet operational, but it will be soon. Dr. Tang has worked tirelessly to build the framework, garner support, recruit a team, and establish a name for the soon-to-be program. 

Dr. Tang’s dedication to this program is unwavering, but he couldn’t have accomplished what he has without the support of everyone involved, including the LSU University system, LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, and the LCMC Health system and its respective leadership. 

At LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, the phase 1 clinical trial program will bolster a continuously growing research institution, helping current researchers contribute to cancer research in Louisiana and at large. It will also attract talented and passionate researchers who share a similar vision.  

According to Dr. Tang, the program will “elevate the Center’s status as a center of excellence.” This is because the phase 1 clinical trial world is competitive. Each trial only requires about 10 to 20 patients, meaning only a handful of cancer centers are chosen to participate. Taking part in these trials will build not just the program itself, but the cancer center as an institution.  
 
Still, the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center phase 1 clinical trials program is not about reputation or prestige. Instead, it’s an asset that will support our researchers in what they do best — helping current and future patients fight cancer.