Clinical trials are the final stages of cancer research that assess a potential new drug or therapy. Trials are carefully monitored scientific studies that involve patients and offer the earliest access to the newest treatment options.
Trials are conducted to determine a drug’s proper dose, how well it works and whether it’s better than current standard treatments. All drugs and treatment currently used as standard of care were once studied in clinical trials.
Why it matters for young adults
Cancer in young adults is different in many ways from what we see in pediatric or older adult populations. The cancers are often different in their type, biology, tumor genetics and more. The cancers may behave and respond to treatment differently.
Participating in a clinical trial is the only way to access the very latest treatment options, oftentimes years before they become available to other providers. If you have cancer, you need the very best treatment today, not years from now.
How to find a clinical trial
At Roswell Park, determining whether you are eligible for a clinical trial is part of the comprehensive care we provide. We look at every option that’s available to you, standard of care and in clinical trials.
You can also search available trials at Roswell Park on our website. New trials open every day. Be sure to ask your cancer care team about any upcoming trials that might be right for you.
Learn about how clinical trials are conducted, the risks and benefits of participating and what we do to ensure your protection.