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Defining Clinical Trials

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What is clinical research?

Clinical research is research about people. There are several types of cancer-related clinical research studies: Some focus on better ways to prevent or diagnose cancer. Some are designed to improve treatment for people with cancer. Some studies look for new ways to prevent the side effects often associated with existing cancer treatments. Unlike other types of scientific research that take place in a laboratory, clinical research usually takes place in a hospital or clinical setting under the direction of researchers who also are doctors.

What is a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is a specific kind of clinical research study. It's designed to test whether experimental cancer drugs or treatments are safe and effective to use in people. In a clinical trial, an experimental drug or treatment is first given to volunteers to see if the drug is safe and has tolerable side effects, and is then tested against conventional therapies to see which works best in cancer patients.

 

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