Riverside Health and UVA Health are partnering to bring a new breast cancer clinical trial to Eastern Virginia, marking the first collaborative cancer study between the two health systems and expanding access to innovative oncology research in the region.
The POWER II (Pre-Operative Window of Endocrine Therapy to Inform Radiation Therapy Decisions) trial is a randomized, phase III study for women ages 65 and older with earlystage, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. Riverside Regional Medical Center will participate in the study as part of UVA Health’s statewide clinical trials network.
The POWER II trial is evaluating whether a short course of endocrine therapy prior to surgery can help inform more individualized decisions about the need for radiation therapy after surgery. The goal is to better align treatment plans with each patient’s condition, helping to reduce both over- and under-treatment.
“POWER II represents an important opportunity to refine how we approach treatment planning for older women with earlystage breast cancer,” said Dr. Magi Khalil, Medical Oncologist with Riverside Cancer Care Network and Principal Investigator of the study at Riverside. “By studying how participants respond to endocrine therapy before surgery, we aim to generate insights that support more personalized care decisions while maintaining effective outcomes.”
Participants in the study will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: One will receive 90 days of endocrine therapy prior to surgery, while the second will proceed directly to surgery withoutendocrine therapy. Following surgery, all participants will work with their physicians to determine whether radiation therapy and/or continued endocrine therapy is appropriate.
Both groups will complete surveys before and after surgery to capture information on treatment tolerance and their experiences with medical decision-making. Participants receiving pre-operative endocrine therapy may have one to two additional clinic visits, as well as a scheduled phone call during treatment. All participants will be followed for two years after surgery.
“Clinical trials like POWER II are essential to advancing how we tailor cancer treatment for older adults,” said Kathy Koehl, PharmD, BCPS, FVSHP, Associate Vice President, Oncology and Clinical Research for Riverside Health. “This study allows us to contribute to research focused on improving decision-making around radiation therapy while continuing to integrate evidence-based, patient-centered approaches into our oncology care.”
Thomas P. Loughran Jr., MD, director of the UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, said making clinical trials more widely available is a key element of the center’s mission.
“As one of just 57 comprehensive cancer centers in America, cancer research – including leading-edge clinical trials – is central to what we do,” he said. “We are excited to partner with Riverside Health to expand the reach of our clinical trials network and work to develop the next generation of cancer therapies.”
All treatments provided as part of the POWER II trial are considered standard of care. Medications, tests and procedures will be billed to participants and/or their insurance providers as applicable. Participants may also choose whether to allow leftover tumor tissue collected during routine clinical care to be used for additional research purposes.
Individuals seeking more information about the POWER II clinical trial, including study eligibility criteria and referral information, are encouraged to learn more by visiting our website.