CYCLE OF LIFE WOODLAND HILLS M.D. JOINS WITH LANCE ARMSTRONG TO FIGHT CANCER.

Byline: Nicole Sunkes Staff Writer

Hoping to draw attention to the importance of cancer clinical trials, a Woodland Hills oncologist is joining Tour de France champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong in a bike ride across America.

Dr. Neil Shah, an oncologist and researcher at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center, is one of 20 cyclists from across the nation who are participating in the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope, a 3,500-mile bike ride designed to raise awareness about clinical trials.

``Unfortunately, only 3 to 5 percent of adult cancer patients participate in clinical trials,'' Shah said. ``If that number were higher, we'd stand to benefit significantly.''

Tour spokesman Jeff McLaughlin said he hopes the event motivates more people to participate in such trials, a crucial means of testing and gaining federal approval for drugs.

``Every drug that is used to treat cancer goes through a clinical trial,'' McLaughlin said. ``There are hundreds of drugs out there in labs that are waiting to be tested so they can help those individuals diagnosed with cancer.''

The tour kicked off early Friday from the City of Hope, a comprehensive cancer center in Duarte. Armstrong, who overcame an aggressive form of testicular cancer to win the Tour de France an unprecedented six consecutive times, joined the cyclists during the kickoff event. He will also ride with the team during selected stretches and at the finish.

Accompanied by bus, cyclists will ride in revolving shifts of four to five hours before arriving in Washington, D.C., Saturday.

Shah, an avid cyclist, was chosen from among 1,200 applicants for the team, which includes nurses and physicians, cancer researchers, cancer survivors and caregivers representing 18 states. Team members were chosen based on their experiences with cancer, physical abilities and commitment to cancer research.

To prepare for the ride, Shah trained about 12 to 15 hours a week, or the equivalent of 200 to 250 miles. He began bike riding as a student at the University of California, Berkley, about 21 years ago.

``I kind of became addicted to the solitude of riding alone, the camaraderie of riding in a group, and the feeling of movement, of motion and the wind coursing through my hair on descents,'' said Shah, 41. ``I really appreciate the flexibility of scheduling that it affords. All you really need to ride is a bicycle, a decently paved road and daylight.''

He is equally devoted to finding a cure for cancer.

During his fellowship at UCLA several years ago, Shah ran across an old friend who had been diagnosed with cancer of the appendix, a rare disease. Married with two young daughters, the woman eventually died from the disease.

``That really forced me to look at the current state of chemotherapy for advanced cancers through the eyes of a patient,'' Shah said. ``That's what inspired me to get back into the lab and to work toward inventing therapies.''

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Dr. Neil Shah, an oncologist and researcher at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center, is one of 20 cyclists participating in a 3,500-mile bike ride to raise awareness about clinical trials. ``Unfortunately, only 3 to 5 percent of adult cancer patients participate in clinical trials. If that number were higher, we'd stand to benefit significantly,'' says Shah.