Iron Strong Awards 2026
Cancer patients from around the region come to the UAB O’Neal Cancer Center to take part in clinical research.
Clinical trial patients at UAB O’Neal Cancer Center share their survival stories
The medical discoveries of today become the standards of care for tomorrow. This path is made possible by clinical trials, which provide promising new therapies to many patients and advance research to better understand their disease or condition.
At any given time, the UAB O’Neal Cancer Center takes part in 200 or more clinical trials that study a wide range of treatments, diagnostic tests, and preventive measures. As Alabama’s only Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), it is part of the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network. This allows some UAB patients to receive cutting-edge cancer treatments that aren’t available at most other medical centers, and it provides valuable research data that can help patients everywhere.
Hundreds of patients from across the region participate in cancer-related clinical trials at the O’Neal Cancer Center each year. A few of them share their survival stories below.
By Cary Estes
Photography by Nik Layman
For the stories of past Iron Strong honorees, visit our Iron Strong Awards Archive.








