Clinical Trials
Expanding your health care options
Clinical trials can be an important component of care when battling ovarian cancer. Clinical trials are research studies that test new cancer treatments. They can provide opportunities to try new, cutting-edge drugs, thus increasing the options for treatment. The results can also assist in helping future ovarian cancer patients. The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), provides information about clinical trials online. You can find current research trials at this site.
It is important to know the phases of a clinical trial:
Phase I
These are the first-level trials with the least amount know about the drug. This phase often tests for delivery methods (injection, IV drip, oral, etc.), side effects and dosage levels. This is the riskiest treatment to try.
Phase II
In this phase, more is know about the drug and a closer look is being taken for its specific effect on cancer. There are still risks involved in this level of treatment.
Phase III
Many people are usually involved at this phase of the trial, which compares the effectiveness of the new treatment with standard treatment or no treatment. As such, this phase often includes two "treatment groups," or a "treatment group" and a "control group."