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Clinical trials are an important method of evaluating new approaches to a disease such as cancer.
Clinical trials are important because they represent a scientific way to test individual agents or procedures to ensure safety and effectiveness, as well as to compare two or more methods, with the objective of constantly improving current science and discovering better ways to prevent, detect and treat cancer. Clinical trials are designed so that variations that may affect the outcome of the study are taken into consideration and controlled for during the course of the study. This leads to results that are valid and relevant to the many different individuals who have cancer. These trials may use a placebo so that the patient and her doctor will not know which treatment is being received. No one trial is right for everyone, and some patients may not be eligible or appropriate for current trials.