Did you know that every medical therapy we have to treat cancer starts with a clinical trial? Treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical techniques and devices exist because of clinical trials.
There are four phases of clinical trials.
- Phase 1 – This is generally the first time a drug is being tested in humans and when we answer the question “Is it safe?”
- Phase 2 – This is when we test the effectiveness of a treatment and answer the question “How well does it work?”
- Phase 3 – This is when we compare a new treatment with the current standard of care and answer the question “Is it better?”
- Phase 4 – This is when we gather more information, examine long-term side effects, and answer the question “Did we miss anything?”
To run a clinical trial and make medical breakthroughs, researchers need human volunteers.
Have you thought about enrolling to be on a clinical trial, but aren’t sure what that really means?
Cedars-Sinai is breaking down commonly asked questions so you can feel confident considering a clinical trial.
“It’s a common misconception that you have to be out of options to join a trial.”
No. Clinical trials are essentially another treatment option for patients to consider, and in many
