Clinical trials serve as the backbone of medical progress, driving innovations in treatment and care.
Clinical trials are the engine that propels medical progress forward, shaping the landscape of healthcare for generations to come. By participating in or supporting clinical research, we contribute to a future where innovative treatments and therapies offer hope and healing to individuals facing a wide range of health challenges. The importance of clinical trials cannot be overstated, as they stand at the forefront of a brighter, healthier tomorrow.
Clinical Trials Information
Clinical trials look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease. Treatments might be new drugs or new combinations of drugs, new surgical procedures or devices, or new ways to use existing treatments. The goal of clinical trials is to determine if a new test or treatment works and is safe
What is the purpose of a clinical trial?
Clinical trials aim to explore new approaches for detecting, preventing, and addressing cancer. Additionally, they serve as a means for healthcare professionals to enhance the overall well-being of individuals with cancer. This is achieved by evaluating strategies to effectively manage the side effects associated with both the disease and its treatment.
What are the types of clinical trials?
Cancer clinical trials come in various forms, each tailored to tackle specific research questions. These trials serve as a vital tool for researchers to gather knowledge that can pave the way for improved treatments and outcomes for individuals in the future.
Why Participate in a Clinical Trial?
When facing the need for cancer treatment, contemplating participation in a clinical trial is a proactive step. By thoroughly examining all available options, including clinical trials, you are actively engaging in a decision that holds significance for your well-being.
Types of Clinical Trials
The majority of cancer clinical trials focus on treating individuals with cancer. These trials evaluate both new treatments and innovative applications of existing ones, including:
- drugs
- vaccines
- approaches to surgery or radiation therapy
- combinations of treatments
Prevention trials explore methods to stop cancer from developing.
Typically, participants in prevention trials do not currently have cancer but are at a heightened risk of developing it. Alternatively, they may have had cancer in the past and are at an elevated risk of experiencing a recurrence.
These trials come in two forms: action studies and agent studies. Action studies involve tasks like exercise or adhering to a specific diet, while agent studies entail taking a substance like a drug or vitamin.
Researchers who conduct these studies want to know:
- How safe is the drug or activity?
- Does the new approach reduce the chance that someone will get cancer?
The aim of cancer screening trials is to evaluate methods of detecting cancer before it manifests symptoms, potentially making treatment more manageable.
A successful screening test should lower the mortality rate associated with the specific type of cancer being screened for.
However, screening tests can also have drawbacks, such as potential physical side effects like bleeding or injury. Additionally, there’s a chance of receiving a false positive result, indicating possible cancer when there isn’t any. This can lead to unnecessary further tests and procedures. Conversely, screening may also fail to detect cancer that is actually present. At times, it might uncover cancers that would not have posed a threat during your lifetime.
Researchers who conduct cancer screening studies want to know:
- Does finding disease earlier, before people have any symptoms, save lives?
- Is one screening test better than another?
- Do the benefits of the screening test outweigh the harms?
These trials aim to enhance the well-being of individuals dealing with cancer, particularly those grappling with side effects from the disease and its treatment.
They may assess the effectiveness of medications, like those alleviating depression or nausea. Alternatively, they might evaluate interventions such as participating in support groups, engaging in physical activity, or seeking counsel from a therapist.
Additionally, some of these trials explore methods to support families and caregivers in managing their own well-being, alongside the needs of the individual with cancer.
Researchers who conduct these studies want to know:
- How does cancer and its treatment affect patients and their loved ones?
- What can improve the comfort and quality of life of people who have cancer?
Clinical trials also play a role in reducing healthcare disparities.
Ancora.ai is free
Clinical trials made simple
At Ancora, their mission is clear: to use technology and a patient-first approach to democratize clinical trial access, ensuring that every patient has the best chances of recovery and leading a healthy life.
Ancora provides unbiased clinical trial information sourced directly from public registries. Their platform empowers patients, healthcare professionals, and loved ones to evaluate all potential treatment options with confidence, free from financial interests in the industry. Ancora does not recommend particular trials nor limit results based on commercial deals with sponsors.
Empowering patients lies at the heart of Ancora’s mission. Their platform helps patients, along with their doctors and caregivers, make informed decisions about their treatment plans. And the best part? Ancora is free for all patients to use.
But Ancora goes beyond just providing access to clinical trial information. They recognize the diversity problem in clinical research and are actively working to address it. Currently, 86% of participants in US clinical trials are white, leading to limited generalizability of findings across diverse populations. Ancora is committed to making clinical trials more reflective of society by removing barriers to access. Their platform allows all patients to search for and learn about clinical trials directly, without any educational, insurance, or physician-related barriers, ultimately making clinical trials more diverse and inclusive.
Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation
The Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation was founded by Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green. Dr. Green is a multi-disciplinary physicist who specializes in targeted cancer therapeutics, using laser-activated nanoparticles and immunotherapies to develop biomarker-specific platforms to target, image, and treat malignant tumors.
List of Clinical Trials
Source: Cancer.Net Editorial Board
U.S. Government Clinical Trial Listings
ClinicalTrials.gov. This government database lists publicly and privately supported clinical trials. The National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) maintains the website. It provides information on thousands of studies. The research addresses various disease and conditions, including cancer. Studies take place in all 50 states and internationally.
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Clinical Trials. This federal agency provides funding for most U.S. cancer clinical trials. The site lists open and closed cancer clinical trials sponsored or supported by NCI. Find NCI-supported clinical trials with the search tool.
General Clinical Trial Listings
Ancora.ai. This site provides a questionnaire-based tool, available in English, Spanish, and German, that identifies clinical trial options. Clinical trials in all 50 U.S. states and international countries are included.
Belong.Life. This mobile app helps connect people with clinical trials.
Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP). The staff at CISCRP will conduct free clinical trial searches. To request their help, complete the online form. You will receive potential research study matches.
CenterWatch. This organization provides information on clinical trials. It includes a database with thousands of open clinical trials.
EmergingMed Clinical Trial Navigator Service. EmergingMed‘s online service identifies clinical trial options. These options are based on a person’s diagnosis, stage, and treatment history. Upon request, clinical trial specialists provide telephone support.
Lazarex Cancer Foundation. This foundation helps people find clinical trials and financial assistance. Request help through the organization’s online contact form or by phone.
Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) Study. The TAPUR Study is a clinical trial conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). It studies advanced cancer in adults. And it explores whether specific targeted therapies may benefit more patients.
TrueTrials. TrueTrials allows patients to search for clinical trials in regenerative medicine and cell therapy that have gone through FDA-regulatory steps. To find available research on regenerative medicine, go to TrueTrials.org and click on “Find Trials.”
World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. The WHO coordinates health matters within the United Nations. This search portal gathers clinical trial information from many countries’ registries.
Disease-specific Clinical Trial Listings
The following organizations provide cancer type-specific clinical trial listings and other research study opportunities.
Be the Match: Jason Carter Clinical Trial Search and Support Program. This program – for people with blood cancers and blood disorders – provides an online search tool, clinical trials navigators, educational resources, and travel grants.
Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. This organization provides a list of bladder cancer-specific clinical trials, sortable by bladder cancer disease state and location.
BreastCancerTrials.org. This service helps users find breast cancer-specific clinical trials. It includes a separate search engine for metastatic breast cancer trials.
Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA). MRA’s clinical trial finder suggests melanoma clinical trials based on your answers to a series of questions.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Project (MBCproject). The MBCproject gathers information on metastatic breast cancer. The findings will help researchers explore new treatment approaches in the future.
Metastatic Prostate Cancer Project (MPCproject). The MPCproject gathers information on advanced and metastatic prostate cancer. The findings will help researchers study new treatment options in the future.
National Brain Tumor Society Clinical Trial Finder. This database allows people to search for brain tumor-specific clinical trials.
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Clinical Trial Finder. This service allows people to search for pancreatic cancer-specific clinical trials.
SPOHNC Clinical Trial Navigation Service. Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC) provides this resource, which helps people find diagnosis-specific clinical trials.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Clinical Trial Support Center. This service helps people with leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma. People connect with support specialists by phone, live chat, or email.
Us TOO Prostate Cancer Clinical Trial Finder. Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education & Support Network provides this resource. The service offers information on prostate cancer-specific clinical trials.
This list is offered solely for informational purposes. Byrd Cancer Education & Advocacy Foundation does not endorse the content, operators, products, or services of these applications and websites. We are not directly or indirectly liable for any damages or injuries resulting from or associated with the use of any content, products, or services provided by third-party applications and websites. As always, consult with your healthcare team for any queries regarding the information you come across.