Today's clinical trials.
Tomorrow's therapies.
What Is a Clinical Trial?
Today's clinical trials are tomorrow's treatment
options. A clinical trial is a medical research study
that tests new ways to prevent, screen, diagnose or
treat a disease. Cancer clinical trials help determine if
a treatment, drug or procedure shows a better way of
treating a particular cancer or condition.
These studies rely on volunteers, referred to as
study participants. The therapy may be referred to
as "investigational" because it is being tested to
determine how well it works. Every study participant
is closely monitored with medical tests and exams
before, during and after the clinical trial.
It takes years to have a clinical trial accepted by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA
must approve the trial before researchers can recruit
patients. Clinical trials allow patients access to the
latest research treatments before they are available to
the public.
