Skin Cancers
Currently Available Clinical Trials from Georgetown Lombardi
Use the link above to search for these suggested keywords:
– Melanoma
– Skin cancer
More clinical trials are available on NIH’s national clinical trial database.
Make an Appointment
You will be redirected to our clinical partner, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
About the Cancer
View information about skin cancers (melanoma, non-melanoma), incidence and survival statistics, treatment options, causes and prevention, coping strategies, clinical trials, and research from the National Cancer Institute:
What We Offer
- Skin Cancer Services
Through the unique combination of Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and our clinical partner, MedStar Health, we are able to offer the highest level of expertise and care available in our area. Learn more about different types of skin cancer and procedures available:
- Clinical Trials
Georgetown Lombardi is a pioneer in immunotherapy treatment; over 50% of patients with advanced melanoma in our clinical trials experience long-term relief from cancer. Similar long-term benefits from immunotherapy are being observed in patients with other cancer types, including lung, kidney, bladder and thymic cancers. We offer the most advanced clinical trials available using investigational immunotherapy drugs.
Stan Sher’s Journey with Advanced Melanoma and Immunotherapy
Stanley Sher of Washington, D.C., was diagnosed with an aggressive form of melanoma in 2013. After several failed treatments and surgeries, he sought treatment at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, where he enrolled in a clinical trial of an immunotherapy combination through Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Within weeks his melanoma began to shrink. By 2015 he was cancer-free. The study regimen is now FDA approved for metastatic melanoma.
Cancer Research
Immunotherapy is one of the most exciting developments in cancer research and treatment today. Researchers are seeing outcomes in clinical trials that exceed all expectations.
What Research is Underway at Georgetown Lombardi?
Most oncologists use a traditional approach to cancer treatment—chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or a combination of two or more of these. We believe the future of cancer care will identify and develop patient-centered treatments, which may include both traditional treatments and combinations of immunotherapeutic approaches. Many studies have investigated the impact of one immunotherapy drug that interacts with a single “immune checkpoint,” but we are discovering that using immunotherapy drugs in combination can be even more effective for some patients. Georgetown Lombardi researchers are testing different combinations of immunotherapy drugs on different types of cancers.
How Does Immunotherapy Work?
The immune system is designed to fight bacteria, viruses and other infections that it recognizes as foreign substances. Cancer is difficult to treat because many types of cancer cells are not properly recognized or effectively attacked by the immune system. They either evade detection by “hiding,” or they disrupt the immune system’s ability to successfully destroy the cancerous tissue.