Thursday, July 23, 2009

What Are Clinical Trials For Cancer?

By Allan Tan

When scientists make a breakthrough and discover a potential new treatment for cancer, the clinical trials for cancer test the safety and effectiveness of the new treatment. Clinical trials for cancer are not restricted to testing new treatments. Some clinical trials test the effectiveness of prevention and screening methods.

Early detection is a crucial part of cancer treatment. Screening methods are tested by clinical trials for cancer to see if new screening methods are more accurate or can detect cancer sooner than existing methods. The early detection of the cancer often improves the prognosis of the patient when treatment is begun early.

Some cancer screening clinical trials are focused on detecting a specific type of cancer. Examples include clinical trials for prostate and breast cancer detection.

Some medications and dietary supplements are thought to prevent the development of cancer. Patients who are at risk for a specific type of cancer may be asked to try a medication or supplement in an attempt to prevent the cancer. Participants in the prevention clinical trial for cancer must be screened for cancer before, during, and after the clinical trial.

Part of cancer treatment is determining which treatment method is best for the type of cancerous tumor. Some clinical trials for cancer test methods for determining the best for a specific tumor. The determination may be done by investigating which proteins are produced by the tumor and using that information to determine the most effective treatment for that tumor.

New treatment medications and methods for cancer are also tested with clinical trials. The new treatment can be an entirely new cancer fighting drug or a new delivery method for targeting the tumors.

The clinical trials for cancer are usually national, though there has been a move towards having more international trials. Some insurance policies cover cancer treatments during clinical trials.

Clinical trials for cancer can provide valuable information to oncologists, cancer research organizations, and the medical research community. Even if a cancer trial fails to provide the expected results, the medical scientists can learn from it.

About the Author: