Cancer clinical trials are research studies being done with people to find new and better ways of preventing, detecting and treating cancer, and to improve the comfort and quality of life for cancer patients. Each trial enrolls people with certain characteristics or with specific types and stages of cancer. Most of the trials in PDQ are designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of new treatments for cancer patients. The treatments being studied appear promising, but their value must be tested and their side effects must be studied. Clinical trials can show whether new approaches are as effective as, more effective than, or less effective than the standard therapy currently used.
Every clinical trial is designed to answer a set of research questions.
If you fit the eligibility criteria for a trial, you may be able to take part. Each study enrolls patients with certain types and stages of cancer and certain health status. A study that involves two or more treatments can yield reliable answers only if all the patient cases are the same so they can be compared with each other. Staging tells how far the disease has spread. Deciding on treatment depends on many things, including the stage of the disease and your general health.