Gabrail Cancer Center: Small Practice Doing Big Things
By: Ann-Margaret Lambo
Observer Business


Patient-centered, cutting-edge and award-winning.

Those phrases are just some of the ways to describe the Gabrail Cancer Center, or GCC, located in the Belden area of Jackson Township. Established in 1990 by Nash Gabrail, MD, GCC is a two-physician oncology practice that is nationally recognized for its integration of clinical research and academic medicine and is also recognized as one of the top 400 research centers in the world.

“As drugs go through development they go through different stages, from Phase I to Phase IV,” explained Carrie Smith, RN, and director of research for GCC. “We are involved in all phases with the pharmaceutical companies to develop the drugs. This is very unique to our practice and to the area. We do it all right here. Often times, we are approached by the pharmaceutical companies because of our reputation of doing quality research.”

The center has participated in clinical trials since 1998 and is currently involved in approximately 52 active trials and 58 follow-up trials. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Foundation, “GCC has contributed to the development, approval and marketing of several anti-caner drugs and support care medications over the past 10 years.”

The Center itself is a welcoming, comfortable environment, thanks to a living-room style waiting room, complete with overstuffed furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows and an aquarium. The treatment area is also inviting, with recliner chairs, a pool table, television, reading area and another aquarium. Patients who prefer privacy during their treatment have access to two private bedroom areas. The staff can also perform CT scans and lab work on site. New patients are usually seen within 48 hours and established patients are usually seen the same day. The Center employs 25 individuals.

“It’s simple – treat people the way you want to be treated,” noted Gabrail.

“Most of our patients are self-referred patients because they know that we do clinical trials,” Smith noted. “They want cutting-edge along with the quality of care. They know that Dr. Gabrail remembers them and wants to educate them. We believe, and research has proven, that the more educated a patient is and the more involved they are with their care, the better the outcome.”

In the last year, Gabrail was honored with two distinct awards. In February 2007, The Ohio/West Virginia Hematology/Oncology Society selected Gabrail for the Community Oncology Research Award. This national award, given by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Foundation chose Gabrail as the best community oncology practice in the two states.

The second recognition came in February 2008 from the Hematology & Oncology News & Issues magazine. The publication’s Hematology & Practice Excellence Awards, or HOPE, named the Gabrail Cancer Center as an example of practice excellence in clinical best practices among small community-based cancer centers.

For more information on Gabrail Cancer Center, call (330) 492-3345 or check out the Center’s Web site at www.gabrailcancercenter.com.