Clinical Trials
All approved cancer treatments available today have been proven in clinical trials. This section explains how trials are run, how you might take part in a clinical trial and how a trial might help you.
Understanding clinical trials
Clinical trials look at new ways to advance kidney cancer care through prevention, detection, or treatment. Participating in a clinical trial can be a way to access a new or otherwise unavailable treatment.
For patients, joining a clinical trial is a big decision, and there are several factors to consider.
What is a clinical trial?
A clinical trial is a research study that tests a new treatment or procedure to find out if it is safe, effective, and better than existing (standard) treatments. Clinical trials provide information about the treatment before it is approved for use.
The treatment or procedure being tested can be a medication, a new way of giving radiotherapy or performing surgery, or something as simple as a different way of caring for patients. Sometimes the clinical trial tests a new combination of medications or treatments to see if combined treatments are better than one.
Clinical Trial Phases
Every new drug has to be rigorously tested and must pass through pre-clinical research and several phases of clinical trials before it can be prescribed to patients. This process can take many years from start to finish.
Pre-clinical phase
Phase 1 – Safety. Does it Hurt?
Phase 2 – Activity. Does it Help?
Phase 3 – Comparison: How does the treatment compare to standard care?
Phase 4 – Real World Data Collection
Other areas of clinical trials
Why can’t I just take the new treatment?
We all want the best possible treatment for our family and ourselves. When a “new” medication is mentioned in the newspaper, or on the TV, we take interest, especially if someone we love is currently living with cancer.
Is a clinical trial right for me?
A clinical trial can be a very good option for treatment if you are suffering cancer. The most obvious reason for considering a clinical trial is obviously to find a treatment that will be best for you. Many patients join a trial hoping that the treatment they can get on a trial is better than the standard that is currently available.
What are the risks and benefits of taking part in a trial?
When deciding if you want to take part in a trial, it is important to realise that the new treatment might work for you, but it might not.
How do I find out more about clinical trials?
We all want the best possible treatment for our family and ourselves. When a “new” medication is mentioned in the newspaper, or on the TV, we take interest, especially if someone we love is currently living with cancer.
Lay summaries of kidney cancer trials
A clinical trial can be a very good option for treatment if you are suffering cancer. The most obvious reason for considering a clinical trial is obviously to find a treatment that will be best for you. Many patients join a trial hoping that the treatment they can get on a trial is better than the standard that is currently available.
