Phase 1 Results

SideOut-BCA-001 / 25 patients / Completed

There is nothing necessarily unique about presenting a cancer trial at a national oncology conference, but when that trial is funded by high school and college athletes, it becomes extraordinary. At the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in early June, scientists introduced the results for the Side-Out Protocol, a pilot study financed by volleyball teams through The Side-Out Foundation.

Equally unique is the fact that the Side-Out Protocol is a study specifically for patients with metastatic (Stage IV) breast cancer. Although metastatic cancer is the most advanced form of the disease, only about 5% of all cancer research goes toward metastatic cancer of all types. The results for the first phase of the trial indicate that approximately 50% of the patients benefit from treatments selected based on the molecular characteristics of a tumor.

George Mason University, home to the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM), one of the research facilities involved in the Side-Out Protocol, published an article detailing the study and its implications for patients: Funded by Volleyball Tournaments, Breast Cancer Pilot Study Succeeds. The study participants interviewed for the article were focused on the opportunity to have more time with their loved ones.

Every time a drug gives me more time, it gives my family and me hope.

The Side-Out Foundation built upon this trial and designed the SideOut-2 trial. This study included more locations and utilized and even more comprehensive molecular profiling to guide treatment selection for the trial participants.