A clinical trial is a research study that evaluates new treatment options. Such research relies on patients who volunteer to try the new or changed treatment. Sometimes they are called clinical studies, research protocols, or medical research. The purpose of a clinical trial is to determine whether a new treatment option is safe, effective, and better than current standard care. Clinical trials test the safety and effectiveness of new treatment options.
Standard care is a treatment option that has been proven effective and is currently being used.
Likely, the standard care was proven effective based on past clinical trials. Today s clinical trials lead to tomorrow s standard care. Advances in medicine and science result from new ideas developed through research. Clinical trials help scientists develop improved treatments and sometimes lead to cures. Scientists may study ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, control, and treat cancer.