Helping Cancer Patients Find Clinical Trials
Basic Information About Clinical Trials
What is a Clinical Trial?
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, a clinical trial is a biomedical or health-related research study in human beings that follows a pre-defined protocol.
There are two types of studies, interventional and
observational. Interventional studies are those in
which the research subjects are assigned by the
investigator to a treatment or other intervention, and
their outcomes are measured. Observational studies
are those in which individuals are observed and their
outcomes are measured by the investigators.
All clinical trials have criteria for enrollment that include
the type and stage of cancer, the patient’s age and sex,
and previous treatment history. By participating,
patients can play a more active role in their own
healthcare, gain access to new research treatments
before they are widely available, and help others by
contributing to medical research.
EDUCATIONAL LINKS
American Cancer Society
-trials-what-you-need-to-know-intro
Cancer.net (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
www.cancer.net/patient/All+About+Cancer/Clinical+Trials
National Cancer Institute
www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/education/what-is-a-clinical-trial
National Comprehensive Cancer Network
www.nccn.com/clinical-trials/855.html
The Scott Hamilton CARES Initiative