Ask CancerCare

The first step in locating appropriate trials is to contact his oncologist. The oncologist is most familiar with your loved one’s case and can inform him of clinical trials for his type and stage of cancer. They can also advise him about whether he qualifies for a study and help him contact the researchers involved.

You can also find listings of specific clinical trials to discuss with the oncologist:

• National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service sponsors most government-funded cancer clinical trials. The NCI has a list of active studies, as well as some privately funded studies. You can contact them at 1-800-4-CANCER or conduct a search on their website.
• ClinicalTrials.gov is a resource provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. They have a large list of trials, though not all are cancer-related. Like the National Cancer Institute, you can conduct an online search to find trials that best fit with your loved one’s situation.

To learn more about clinical trials please visit CancerCare’s Clinical Trials webpage.