Clinical trials offer us the hope that a new medication or treatment will improve survival or quality of life to a greater degree than therapy that is currently available. With the poor survival rate, especially for advanced lung cancer, these trials provide an option when other treatments have failed. Your oncologist may suggest a clinical trial, or you may wish to look up trials on your own. Resources for finding clinical trials include clinical trial databases, as well as matching services (specialists can assist you in locating a clinical trial depending upon your diagnosis and your desired location for treatment).
Clinical Trial Databases
ClinicalTrials.govThis directory is provided as a service by the National Institutes of Health and lists over 55,000 clinical trials. Trials for lung cancer can be found by searching under "lung neoplasm."
Centerwatch: Clinical Trials Listing Service
Centerwatch provides an international listing of clinical trials along with patient education information to assist you in your decision making process.
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute lists over 6,000 clinical trials that can be searched by cancer type and zip code (location trial is taking place).
Trial Check
Trial check is a clinical trial search engine provided by the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups. Trial check lists over 4,000 clinical trials sponsored both by governmental agencies and private industry. Individuals fill out a screening questionnaire, and clinical trials are then listed starting with those closest to the patient's zip code.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Clinical Trials
This database from the National Institutes of Health allows you to search for clinical trials classified as complementary or alternative. An example is a study that is recruiting patients with advanced lung cancer to study the effect of a vegetable and herb mix on lung cancer survival.
Clinical Trial Matching Services
American Cancer Society Clinical Trials Matching ServiceAfter registering on the American Cancer Society’s website and completing an online screening questionnaire, this service helps you find clinical trials that you may be eligible for. Clinical trial specialists are available by phone to answer your questions about clinical trials, and to help you contact the study coordinator for trials you may be interested in participating in.
National Clinical Trials Database
This resource includes a database of over 2,000 clinical trials that individuals can search anonymously, as well as a free custom clinical trials search service; cancer information specialists can assist you in finding a clinical trial.
Emerging Med Navigator Find Clinical Trial Options
The Emerging Med Navigator allows you to search over 10,000 clinical trials in the United States and Canada online or by telephone. A matching service is also available; complete a detailed profile to see if you match with any of these studies. A clinical trials specialist contacts you free of charge by telephone to answer questions during your search, and to help you get in contact with the physicians conducting the studies.
Further reading:
- Clinical Trials Overview
- Types and Phases of Clinical Trials
- Should I Participate in a Clinical Trial? Questions to Ask
Sources:
American Cancer Society. Clinical Trials. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/ETO_6.asp. Accessed 06/10/08.
National Cancer Institute. Clinical Trials. http://www.cancer.gov/CLINICALTRIALS. Accessed 06/10/08.
National Institute of Health. Medline Plus. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/clinicaltrials.html. Updated 04/30/08.
