Maine Cancer Patients to Access Experimental Drugs

Under a partnership with MaineHealth, residents of Maine will have access to clinical research trials of new cancer-fighting drugs at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Maine Medical Center lead oncologist Scot Remick says the agreement gives Maine patients access to experimental treatments..MaineHealth is the parent company of Maine Medical Center, the largest hospital in the state.

Remick says Maine has the highest rate of cancer in the country. The state has the oldest median age and it has about 9,000 new cancer patients every year. About 70 percent of the patients are treated in the MaineHealth network.

In many cases, patients shouldn't have to leave the state to participate in the trial. Some will be administered at Maine Medical Center Research Institute in Scarborough.