Breast Cancer Health Center
Breast Cancer Clinical Trials
Major pharmaceutical companies continually research and develop new medications and treatments, which must be shown to be safe and effective before doctors can prescribe them to patients. Through breast cancer clinical trials, researchers test the effects of new medications on a group of volunteers with breast cancer. Following a strict protocol and using carefully controlled conditions, researchers evaluate the investigational drugs under development and measure the ability of the new drug to treat breast cancer, its safety, and any possible side effects.
Some patients with breast cancer are reluctant to take part in clinical trials for fear of getting no treatment at all for their breast cancer. This is simply not true. Patients with breast cancer who participate in breast cancer clinical trials receive the most effective therapy available for their condition -- or they may receive breast cancer treatments that are being evaluated for future use. These breast cancer drugs may be even more effective than the current breast cancer treatment.
WebMD senior writer Miranda Hitti interviewed breast cancer survivors as part of a series for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The series, called “Me & the Girls,” explores the personal stories of these women after they were diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer survivor Ilene Smith, MS, RD, 49, lives in the New York area. In late October 2007, Smith felt a lump in her left breast while on a conference call for work. "I got cold, and so I put my hand under my arm, and I felt...
Read the Me and the Girls: Ilene Smith article > >
In addition, breast cancer clinical trials are no-cost alternatives and are usually accompanied by free medical evaluations as part of the clinical trial.
The following web sites offer information and services to help you find a breast cancer clinical trial that is right for you.
This web site, developed by the nonprofit Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups, is an unbiased cancer clinical trial matching and navigation service enabling patients to search for cancer trials based on disease and location.
This web site lists more than 6,000 cancer clinical trials, and explains what to do when you find one that you think is right for you.
This web site offers up-to-date information for locating federally and privately supported clinical trials for cancer.
This web site lists industry-sponsored clinical trials that are actively recruiting patients.
WebMD Medical Reference
Reviewed by
Arnold Wax, MD on February 18, 2010
© 2010 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Common Treatments for Breast Cancer