Leading-edge Research and Exceptional Care 

At Kettering Health, we offer lifesaving care close to home. At each of our locations, you have access to the latest technology and evidence-based treatments. Our specialists continually participate in research and offer eligible patients access to the most promising new therapies. Be sure to ask your physician if clinical trials are an option for you.

Why Cancer Research and Clinical Trials Matter

Benefits of our research program include the following:  

• Clinical trials: Through Kettering Health Research Institute clinical trials team, we offer eligible patients access to new medicines, protocols, and treatment options.
• Easy access to new treatments: We regularly hold conferences where every specialist involved in cancer care meets to discuss treatment plans. A dedicated research coordinator attends these meetings to learn about all our patients’ diagnoses and treatment plans. If you qualify for a study or clinical trial, the coordinator connects with your physician, who will explain your options. 
• Collaboration with regional partners: We expand our resources through participation in the Dayton Clinical Oncology Program. This collaboration provides access to additional national clinical trials.

Advanced Technology for Cancer Diagnosis 

Kettering Health Main Campus is the only non-academic medical center in Ohio that operates a machine called a cyclotron on-site. The cyclotron allows us to create substances called radiotracers. Radiotracers are injections that attach to specific cells so they show up on an imaging scan. This technique can tell us if cancer has spread (metastasized) to other parts of your body.   

Many radiotracers are effective only for a short amount of time; once they are created, we must give the injection quickly. Having the ability to create our own radiotracers gives us more flexibility for timing and treatment.  

Our specialists are leaders in this area of nuclear medicine. For example, we pioneered the use of a radiotracer called methionine for use in brain and tumor treatment. Methionine shows us tumor deposits in the brain and if these spots are active or not.  

When you come to Kettering Health, your care team includes experts who lead in innovative care.