HJAR Sep/Oct 2020

20 SEP / OCT 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS THE RIGHT TO TRY ate care with an innovative approach, and I feel clinical trials, expanded access, and Right to Try do just that. What resources would a physician use to stay up to date on expanded access and Right to Try options/ successes? Patel Prior to COVID-19, I had frequent in-person meetings with medical science li- aisons from the pharmaceutical companies to learn about new investigational drugs in their clinical trial pipelines. Today, while we must adapt to virtual meetings, we remain in close contact. They summarize the out- comes of early phase studies, and gauge our interest in participating in upcoming clinical trials. These liaisons are a great resource for information on expanded access or compas- sionate use programs for their companies. We also utilize clinicaltrials.gov to identify clinical trials for various indications. The most recent EAP was brought to our atten- tion by the patient. She discovered the EAP on the sponsor’s website, approached her physician about the program, and he acted on it. There are a number of ways to find these programs. How do you know when it is time to stop the race and let the inevitable progress? Patel As an oncologist, I have had the unfor- tunate job to discuss end of life many times withmy patients. I have found that this topic does not simply span one singular conver- sation, but many throughout the course of treating a patient. I try to get to know my patients and understand what their wishes are as they move through their treatment journey, so that when we find ourselves at the stagewhere treatment is no longer work- ing, we have a foundation on which to build those next steps. The patient’s performance status will drive the treatment options, and if the patient maintains a good performance status, we will continue seeking alternative treatment options. However, once the pa- tient’s performance status reaches a grade 3 or 4, we must transition into discussing end of life care. n