Cancer Clinical Trials

Find Cancer Clinical Trials

Cancer immunotherapy clinical trials are critical to bringing new and potentially lifesaving treatments to more patients with more types of cancer, and may represent the greatest hope for those currently facing the disease. Immunotherapy is increasingly available in clinical trials for early-stage cancers or as a first-line treatment option as clinical research rapidly progresses. Many patients, however, are not aware of recent breakthroughs in immunotherapy research and the growing opportunities to participate in new cancer clinical trials. Without this information, patients may find it difficult to identify cancer clinical trials that may be appropriate for them.

Our Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trial Finder will aid you in finding your answer to cancer. Understand the basics of cancer clinical trials, why clinical trials are so critical to our work, what things to consider about enrolling, and how to assist patients in finding clinical trials for which they may be eligible.

Access cutting-edge cancer treatments

  • Hundreds of new and promising cancer immunotherapy treatments are only available to patients in clinical trials. Participating in clinical trials of these therapies may be the most promising option for cancer patients today, and will be critical to speeding the development and approval of new drugs for more patients in the future.
  • Only 3% to 6% percent of cancer patients who are eligible for clinical trials participate; this slows the clinical development process significantly and means that more than 90% of cancer patients may be missing out on potentially life-saving new treatments.
  • Many cancer patients are not aware of immunotherapy clinical trials because their doctors do not inform them about these opportunities. We encourage patients to educate themselves about cancer clinical trials, as well as to use our Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trial Finder to be matched with clinical trials, and to talk with their doctors about participating.

Drive scientific research

  • There are still many unmet needs in cancer, especially for patients with advanced, metastatic disease. In recent years, immunotherapies have succeeded in achieving complete and durable remissions in some patients with cancers previously considered incurable.
  • Many patients may be hesitant about participating in a cancer clinical trial for fear that the treatment may be too risky, or that the side effects may be severe. Cancer clinical trials are generally safe. Immunotherapy side effects may be different from those associated with conventional cancer treatments because they result from an overstimulated or misdirected immune response rather than the direct effect of a chemical or radiological therapy on cancer and healthy tissues. Clinical trials are vital for doctors to understand how to identify and manage side effects.
  • Some patients may believe that they will receive a ‘placebo’ (not an active drug) in place of treatment in cancer clinical trials. Patients will always receive treatment on a clinical trial if an approved treatment already exists. Most clinical trials do not include a placebo. In a few cases, placebos may be used in addition to standard treatment to determine whether additional medicine may have a greater or lesser impact in their care.
  • Clinical trials don’t just test new treatments. Cancer clinical trials provide insight into the best way to administer existing treatments. For example, a combination of two therapies may work better than a single therapy, or a lower drug dosage may be just as effective in shrinking tumors, but with less severe side effects.

Help future cancer patients

  • Clinical trials are an essential part of the cancer care continuum. When you enroll in a cancer clinical trial, you are part of a team, including doctors, nurses, trial coordinators, and fellow patients.
  • Immunotherapy represents a completely new approach to cancer treatment. By participating in an immunotherapy clinical trial, you have the opportunity not only to access a potentially lifesaving treatment, but also to help advance this new approach and bring immunotherapies to more patients in the future.
  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved immunotherapies to treat many different cancer types. These drugs are now standard-of-care for many cancers thanks to cancer clinical trials and the patients who participated in them.

Explore more cancer clinical trial information

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Find a Clinical Trial

Use our Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trial Finder to work with a Clinical Trial Navigator and match with clinical trials that might be right for you.

If you have additional questions, contact the Clinical Trial Finder team at [email protected] or contact Cancer Research Institute at [email protected].

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