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ABOUT CLINICAL TRIALS Developed to target and review the effectiveness of various and promising approaches to cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment, cancer trials allow specific clinical questions to be answered quickly, utilizing the latest research findings. One of the final stages of a long and careful cancer research process, these research studies can take various forms, including treatment trials, screening trials, quality of life trials, and prevention trials (discussed in another section of this website.) Clinical trials are classified into one of three phases. Phase one trials evaluate how a new drug should be given, how often, and what the dosage is. These trials are done in small numbers, usually to those with advanced stages of the illness. Phase two trials are formed to evaluate the benefits of particular new drugs for particular types of cancer. Finally, phase three trials compare a new drug or procedure with another, usually more standard drug or procedure. TCHOP deals mainly with phase two and three trials, helping to define which drugs and procedures best treats the specific cancer. Click on the links to the left to discover more about clinical trials, the questions to ask your physicians, clarification on common misconceptions, and specifics on insurance issues.
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