Breast cancer clinical trials
Clinical trials are at the heart of every new cancer treatment.
These trials can
help doctors determine what is safe and effective in treating breast cancer, as
well as a variety of other diseases and cancers. Always consult with your healthcare
team before deciding to participate in a clinical trial.
What is a clinical trial?
A clinical trial is a study designed to show whether or not a
treatment for a serious disease is effective or safe, or to find out more
about the disease. That means that the people who participate in the trial could
have early access to a new and better treatment. But the treatment may also not
work for participants.
Also, clinical trials can test treatments that aren’t available, and about which
not much is known. Likewise, these treatments’ side effects are unknown.
But if you participate in a clinical trial, you may feel you have more control over
your situation. And you will probably receive more attention from your doctors and
nurses.
Lastly, it’s important to remember that not every clinical trial is designed to
test a new treatment such as a drug or radiation technique. Some studies seek to
find out more about the disease itself. To find breast cancer clinical
trials, search the government’s clinical trial Web site, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Learn more about useful tools