A clinical trial (also called clinical research) is a research study involving people. Clinical trials try to answer specific questions to find better ways to prevent, detect or treat diseases or to improve the care for people who have the disease.
Cancer clinical trials help find new methods for diagnosing, treating, managing and preventing cancer. Studies are available for people with any stage of cancer, including those who have been newly diagnosed or those who may have a recurrence or metastases.
Clinical Trials involve:
- new anticancer medications (chemotherapy)
- new approaches to prevention, screening, surgery, and radiation therapy
- new combinations of currently used anticancer medications
- alternative and complementary treatments
- supportive care (pain, fatigue, nausea, etc.)
- Treatments that are used today were developed and tested in clinical trials. Many of the clinical trials that we are doing are using proven, safe treatments, but may be in different combinations.