Some of the newest breast cancer research is happening right here in Macon

The average five-year breast cancer survival rate is about 90 percent, according to the American Cancer Society, and it seems to be rising. Researchers across the world are studying ways to prolong patients’ lives and improve cancer care.

Some of that research is happening right here in Macon.

Medical oncologist Dr. Cheryl Jones is one of three principal investigators overseeing 11 breast cancer clinical trials at the Macon-Coliseum branch of Georgia Cancer Specialists.

Clinical trials allow patients to receive new therapies still under development, such as medications that haven’t been approved yet by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

Some trials Jones conducts test out new drugs or remedies, while others focus specifically on patients’ quality of life during treatment.

In one trial, researchers are comparing the effectiveness of two-dimensional versus three-dimensional breast imaging to detect abnormalities. Another is investigating the role of weight loss in the health outcomes of overweight and obese patients with stage two or stage three breast cancer.

“The number one killer of women is still heart disease,” Jones said. “And so, we certainly want to pay attention, you know, to a healthy lifestyle and anything we can do to reduce delayed effects of, you know, chemotherapy or radiation on a woman’s heart health in the future.”

Researchers also are developing a mobile app that provides patients with information about their medications, a diary where they can monitor side effects to different treatments and access online support groups. Through the clinical trial, called Madeline, patients can connect with others fighting breast cancer even if they can’t make it to a support group meeting.

“The clinical trial Madeline, with the app, allows patients to have a better quality of life and better support,” Jones said. “It also allows, you know, better side effect reporting to the physicians so that they’ll have better adherence and better outcomes.”

One of Jones’s trials targets specific gene mutations through immunotherapy. If successful, she said, the findings could help not only breast cancer patients but also relatives with the same genetic abnormalities.

Sometimes patients are reluctant to participate in clinical trials, Jones said. But she urged them to take advantage of the opportunity to try new forms of therapy, which could be more effective and less dangerous than current options.

“There’s the misconception that they may be considered a guinea pig instead of having the opportunity to not only help themselves but to advance the future of medicine,” Jones said.

Cancer treatment has changed substantially since Jones entered the field, thanks to innovation and research. She’s excited to see how oncology continues to evolve.

“Over the last 25 years as a practicing oncologist, I’ve seen dramatic improvement not only in my patients’ survival but in their quality of life as we’ve better understood cancers and been able to develop less toxic medications and better support medications,” Jones said. “So it’s an exciting field that offers hope to our patients for a better and healthier future.”

To find out more about clinical trials in Macon and across the country, visit clinicaltrials.gov.

Samantha Max is a Report for America corps member and reports for The Telegraph with support from the News/CoLab at Arizona State University. Follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/smax1996 and on Twitter @samanthaellimax. Learn more about Report for America at www.reportforamerica.org.