What is a Clinical Trial

While cancer treatment may be already effective, doctors engaged in clinical research strive to develop even better treatment solutions for patients with gynaecological cancer. A clinical trial is a formal assessment or a research study in which patients, doctors and researchers help find ways to improve health care. Clinical trials are designed to answer specific questions and find better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat medical conditions, including cancer.

Cancer trials test new treatments or interventions including:

•    New drugs, including chemotherapy agents
•    New surgical approaches
•    New supportive care techniques
•    New vaccines, gene therapy techniques and alternative medicines.

They may also investigate Prevention methods, such as medicines, vitamins, minerals, or other supplements that doctors believe may lower the risk of a certain type of cancer. These trials look for the best way to prevent cancer in people who have never had cancer or to prevent cancer from coming back or a new cancer occurring in people who have already had cancer.

Other research areas include Screening trials, which test the best way to find cancer, especially in its early stages, Quality of Life trials (also called Supportive Care trials) which explore ways to improve comfort and quality of life for cancer patients and epidemiological studies which look at factors affecting the health and illness of populations and help identify risk factors for disease and determine optimal treatment approaches to clinical practice.

Cancer research can provide direct benefits to trial participants including up to date care, close monitoring and the opportunity to benefit from a new treatment option. Participants will also contribe to knowledge and progress.