Dr. Radhika Yelamanchili, a gastrointestinal oncologist at Niagara Health, recently contributed to an international study.
For years, doctors have encouraged cancer patients to stay active during recovery. Researchers now have strong evidence to explain why.
An international study involving Niagara Health patients found that about two-and-a-half hours of moderate exercise each week after treatment for colon cancer reduced the risk of recurrence by 28 per cent and lowered the risk of death by 37 per cent.
"This isn't a new drug. It's exercise," says Dr. Radhika Yelamanchili, a gastrointestinal oncologist at Niagara Health who contributed to the study, known as the CHALLENGE Trial (CO.21). "By studying it scientifically, we were able to quantify the impact and show just how meaningful exercise can be."
The findings are one example of how Niagara Health patients are helping shape the future of healthcare through clinical research. Through the Niagara Health Knowledge Institute (NHKI), those opportunities continue to grow.
"Research is how we discover better ways to care for people," says Elaina Orlando, Director, Research Operations of NHKI. "It's about asking whether there's a better solution than the one we're using today."
"Research is how we discover better ways to care for people. It's about asking whether there's a better solution than the one we're using today."
Bringing research closer to home
In 2025 alone, Niagara Health supported 58 active clinical trials involving 629 patients across a wide range of specialties, including oncology, critical care, cardiology and stroke care.
Those numbers continue to grow.
"We're creating access to new therapies and new opportunities for patients without requiring them to travel," Orlando says.
Most clinical trials at Niagara Health are conducted in partnership with universities, research networks and industry sponsors. Patients receive care locally while contributing to broader national and international studies.
"Our patients are helping answer important healthcare questions that can change the way care is provided across the country and globally," Orlando says. “It’s an important contribution.”
The benefits extend beyond convenience
For some patients, a clinical trial provides access to treatments not yet widely available. For others, participation helps researchers determine whether existing drugs, medical devices or treatment approaches can be improved. Research can also identify treatments that do not work as expected, preventing future patients from undergoing unnecessary or ineffective care.
Without local access, many Niagara residents would need to travel to Hamilton, Toronto or other large academic hospitals to participate in research. Instead, they can receive care here while contributing to discoveries that could shape healthcare far beyond the region.
Cancer research leading the way
While NHKI is helping expand research throughout Niagara Health, oncology has long demonstrated what is possible in a community hospital setting.
Cancer clinical trials at Niagara Health date back to 1985, when Dr. Brian Finlay helped establish the oncology research program. Since then, the Walker Family Cancer Centre has participated in nearly 100 studies.
Yelamanchili, who has been involved in oncology research at Niagara Health for 16 years, says clinical trials help ensure patients in Niagara can access some of the same innovations available at larger academic centres.
Today, approximately 111 Niagara Health cancer patients are being actively followed through clinical trials.
Among them are studies exploring exercise, precision medicine and new treatment options.
In addition to the CHALLENGE Trial, Niagara Health participated in the DYNAMIC -III Trial, which used circulating tumour DNA, known as ctDNA, to help determine chemotherapy choices in colon cancer patients following surgery. De-escalating chemotherapy in ct-DNA negative patients was successful in reducing side effects without negatively affecting survival rates. The approach allowed physicians to personalize treatment.
More recently, Niagara Health joined the CO.33 BATTMAN Trial, which is evaluating a novel immunotherapy approach for patients with advanced colorectal cancer whose disease has progressed despite previous treatments.
Clinical trials can also offer options beyond standard treatments.
Yelamanchili recalls a pancreatic cancer patient who enrolled in two separate clinical trials over the course of his illness. Access to those therapies helped extend his life by nearly five years.
"For a patient with that type of cancer, that's remarkable," she says. "Without those clinical trial opportunities, his journey would have been very different."
For Yelamanchili, the common thread across every study is giving patients access to innovative care closer to home while helping advance knowledge for future patients.
"The credit belongs to patients as much as anyone else. Many participate knowing the research may not directly benefit them, but that it could help future patients."
"The credit belongs to patients as much as anyone else," she says. "Many participate knowing the research may not directly benefit them, but that it could help future patients."
Expanding research beyond oncology
While cancer research has a decades-long history at Niagara Health, NHKI is helping create similar opportunities across the organization.
The institute now supports studies in critical care, cardiology, hematology, infectious diseases and other specialties, creating infrastructure that allows clinicians to pursue research alongside their clinical practice.
One critical care study examined whether in-bed cycling for mechanically ventilated patients could improve recovery. Researchers found the intervention improved patient function and reduced both ICU and hospital length of stay. Although the study has ended, the equipment continues to be used because of the positive results.
"That's what we want to see," Orlando says. "When research shows something works, it becomes part of practice."
Researchers are now preparing to study a similar upper-body cycling intervention.
The organization's growing research profile is also helping attract talent. Orlando says research-active hospitals are more successful at recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals while creating opportunities for clinicians to contribute to scientific discovery.
"We're seeing clinicians choose Niagara Health specifically because of the research opportunities available here," she says.
The organization's work has also attracted attention from hospitals across Canada seeking advice on how to build their own research programs.
Building the future of care
For both Orlando and Yelamanchili, the value of clinical trials ultimately comes back to patients.
By participating in research studies, Niagara residents gain access to emerging therapies closer to home while helping shape the future of healthcare.
Some studies identify breakthrough treatments. Others confirm that simple interventions can make a profound difference. Still others show what does not work, helping prevent future patients from receiving ineffective care.
Healthcare, Orlando says, cannot be limited to treating conditions the way they have always been treated.
"It's about thinking, how can we do this better?" she says. "Research is the way we discover how we can do things better."
Yelamanchili agrees.
"A research ecosystem has been created," she says. "Patients in Niagara can receive leading-edge care close to home while contributing to knowledge that helps people everywhere. That's something we should be proud of."
