At NEXT Oncology, our goal is to offer hope through Phase I clinical trials to those with advanced cancer and may be not responding to traditional treatment.
Phase I clinical trials are research studies that test how well new medical approaches and treatments work in people and are usually the initial testing of a new treatment in a clinical setting.
Each study answers scientific questions focused on finding better methods to prevent, screen, diagnose or treat cancer.
Dr. Anthony Tolcher is a medical oncologist and co-founder of NEXT Oncology. He is dedicated to the development of new anticancer agents — including clinical trials and therapies — for patients looking for their next option now that their current cancer therapy is no longer working to their benefit. Dr. Tolcher is proud that the NEXT Oncology team scours the world to bring the best new agents back to its patients and centers.
This is much more than a job for Dr. Tolcher. It is his life’s work.
BACKGROUND:
He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He performed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Toronto and his fellowship in oncology at the University of British Columbia. He followed this with a research fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.
He was a Fogarty Fellow at the National Institute of Health and received the Murray Muirhead Award for humanitarian and academic excellence and the Goel Prize in Medicine for excellence in the Clinical Disciplines. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada; a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology; and a member of the American College of Physicians, and the American Society of Clinical Oncologists. He also serves as a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Scientific Program Committee and the Cancer Education Committee.
Dr. David Sommerhalder specializes in and is board certified in medical oncology and hematology and is also board certified in internal medicine. He works at NEXT Oncology San Antonio as an investigator on numerous clinical trials, where he helps to find additional treatment options for patients who otherwise may be out of options. He does this with the ultimate goal of finding more and better treatments for future cancer patients, but his priority is always the patient he is actively caring for.
BACKGROUND:
Dr. Sommerhalder earned his medical degree from the Ross University School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency at Louisiana State University Health, Shreveport, Louisiana where he also served as Chief Resident. Dr. Sommerhalder was also the Chief Fellow at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center at LSU Health, Shreveport.
Medical Oncologist and Clinical Investigator
Dr. Rodriguez is a Phase 1 clinical investigator at NEXT Oncology in San Antonio, Texas. He is board-certified in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology. He leads multiple clinical trials at NEXT and is thrilled to offer clinical trial options for the diverse community of San Antonio. One of his goals is to expand patient education and access to clinical trials.
BACKGROUND:
Dr. Rodriguez earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Program in Austin, Texas. He served as a chief resident at the Dell Medical School in Austin. Dr. Rodriguez completed his medical oncology and hematology fellowship at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City where he also served as chief fellow. With a focus in liquid tumors early in his career at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, he made a shift to focus on Phase I clinical research and offer patients an opportunity for additional treatment in their cancer care.
Dr. Sharon T. Wilks is a valuable member of the Phase 1 Clinical Investigation Team. She focuses on research and advancement in the treatment of breast cancer with more than 32 years of research and clinical experience as a hematologist and medical oncologist. Dr. Wilks has been involved in breast cancer research since her early career in the Air Force. At NEXT Oncology she is involved in all Phase I and drug development projects with a dedication to breast cancer research.
BACKGROUND:
Dr. Wilks was born in Baltimore and received her medical degree at Uniformed Services University of Health Science in Bethesda, Md. She obtained additional training and her fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
She received the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, was the 2003 American Cancer Society Volunteer of the Year for the San Antonio Metro Unit. She is a member of the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Oncology, and a 2004 inductee into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame. She received the KLRN Women’s Health Award for 2000 and the Chi Eta Phi Sorority Humanitarian Award, San Antonio Chapter.
If you are interested in participating in trials at NEXT Oncology, please contact us to learn more.
2829 Babcock Road Suite 300
San Antonio, Texas 78229
Phone: 210-580-9500
Open Monday-Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
