What is a clinical trial?
A clinical trial is a carefully designed investigation into the effects of a diagnostic test, treatment or style of care, for example:
Tests
- Screening: to find ways of detecting cancer at an earlier stage.
- Diagnosing cancer: looking at new tests or scans that can help detect cancer in a better way.
Treatments
- Treatment with new drugs or combinations of drugs, or new ways of giving drug treatments, surgery or radiotherapy.
- A new treatment may be compared with an older and more accepted treatment to find out which works better.
- The question may be “Is the treatment being given in the best way?” For example, comparing how frequently drugs are given – once a week or once a month.
- Monitoring the progress of treatment.
Supportive care
- Controlling symptoms, such as pain, nausea or shortness of breath. For example, a trial may look at new drugs or complementary therapies.
- The researcher may want to discover how best to provide support by finding out how treatment affects your everyday life and activities.
Genetics
- To help learn more about the role genes play in cancer.
Preventing cancer
- These trials are conducted with healthy people who have not had cancer. For example, they may look at drugs, vitamins, foods to reduce risk, etc.