Research into new ways of treating advanced cancer and controlling symptoms is going on all the time. Current treatments can be helpful for many people with advanced cancer, but may cause unpleasant side effects. Cancer doctors are continually looking for better ways of treating cancer and controlling symptoms, and they do this by using clinical trials. Any new drug that is developed will go through trials to check that it is safe to give and is effective.

If early research suggests that a new treatment or medicine might be better than the standard treatment, doctors will carry out trials to compare the new treatment with the best available current ones. However just because something is new, it doesn’t mean that it is better than the treatment that already exists. Until new treatments have been tested, it’s impossible for doctors to know which treatment is best for their patients.

Your doctor may suggest that you consider taking part in a trial. Many hospitals around the UK often take part in clinical trials. Our trials section aims to answer the many questions that people ask about clinical trials for cancer.

Giving consent

Your doctor must have your informed consent before entering you into any clinical trial. This means that you know what the trial is about, you understand why it is being done and why you have been invited to take part, and the treatment has been discussed with you.

Even after agreeing to take part in a trial, you can still leave the trial at any stage if you change your mind. If you choose not to take part or withdraw from a trial, you will then have the best standard treatment rather than the new one with which it is being compared. If you choose to take part in a trial, it’s important to remember that whatever treatment you are given will have been carefully researched in early studies, before it is fully tested in any trial.

Newspapers, magazines, and radio and television programmes often mention new cancer treatments. Friends may also tell you about them. If you are not sure whether the treatment would be appropriate in your situation you can discuss it with your cancer specialist, who is in the best position to advise you.