Cardinal George participating in clinical cancer research trial

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Catholic Archdiocese reports that Chicago's Francis Cardinal George is now participating in a new clinical research trial for treatment of his cancer at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

The cardinal continues his regular schedule and celebrated the 125th anniversary of the De la Salle Institute on the South Side on Friday.

This new treatment is different from chemotherapy as it involves testing a new drug that may activate his immune cells to fight cancer cells.

"It doesn't work for everyone, but it works for a good percentage of patients and sometimes works very well," said Dr. Justin Kline, University of Chicago Medicine.

The cardinal was first diagnosed with cancer in 2008. He learned earlier this year that it had returned.