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Situation is Resolved

Our community is mourning a tragic shooting that occurred earlier today at our Wilmington Hospital campus. The situation has been resolved, and the campus is now open, safe and secure with no ongoing threat to patients, caregivers or visitors.

Wilmington Hospital is open and fully operational.

We are tremendously grateful for the professionalism and courage shown by our caregivers, who continued to put our patients and community first during a difficult situation. We deeply appreciate our partners at the Wilmington Police Department, our first responders, and our ChristianaCare Public Safety team. And as always, we thank our community for patience, trust and support.

Oncology Patient Advocates for Clinical Trials (OPACT)

We build bridges between patients, physicians, nurses & social workers.

What is OPACT? Mission & Vision What is a Clinical Trial? How We Can Help Contact Us

What is OPACT?

Oncology Patient Advocates for Clinical Trials (OPACT) is a group of cancer survivors who have participated in clinical trials and seek to help other patients who may be considering clinical trials. We build bridges between patients, physicians, nurses, social workers and others who provide care to cancer patients considering participation in a Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute clinical trial.

Mission & Vision

Our goal is to create a more informed, transparent, and patient-centered clinical trial experience by increasing awareness of clinical trial opportunities, serving as a trusted resource for patients and practitioners, improving the overall patient journey, and ensuring clear communication of trial outcomes and results.

What is a Clinical Trial?

A clinical trial is a research study designed to answer a specific scientific question. Research clinical trials are conducted with cancer patients to determine if a new treatment or therapy is effective. Treatments can include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, either alone or in combination.

Some clinical trials are designed to study ways to prevent cancer. They are called prevention trials. Other studies examine the psychological impact of cancer, ways to improve patient quality of life, and ways to control symptoms or side effects. A clinical trial is often referred to as a protocol.

The cancer clinical trials available through the Helen F. Graham Center & Research Institute are sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other national research partners. The ChristianaCare cancer research program is a NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP). As a NCORP member, the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute provides patients with the newest cancer therapies, including more than 100 clinical trials sponsored by the federal government and drug companies for the prevention and treatment of cancer at different stages.

How We Can Help

We understand what you’re going through because we’ve been there. We know how overwhelming these decisions about treating your cancer can feel. The good news is that you have options. Clinical trials offer you access to new treatments that might otherwise be unavailable.

You also have us. We are your advocates. We can help ease the burden of making these decisions by sharing our knowledge and experience with clinical studies. We know that from a patient’s perspective the more information you have, the easier it will be for you and your family to make the decision that’s right for you.

To talk with one of us, call the cancer research office at 302-623-4450 or speak to your cancer doctor who can contact the research department.