Related Pages NCI Publications Locator An online system for finding, viewing, and ordering NCI reports, publications, and other materials. Can be searched by topic, audience, and language.

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NCI Programs That Conduct Clinical Trials

Introduction to Clinical Trials

Clinical Trials
(Reviewed: 05/19/2006) - This fact sheet covers types of clinical trials, who sponsors them, how they are conducted, how participants are protected, and who pays for the patient care costs associated with a clinical trial. Includes some questions to ask a health care provider before entering a clinical trial.

What Is a Clinical Trial?
(Posted: 01/10/2000, Reviewed: 04/08/2008) - A basic description of the reason for, and the kinds of, clinical trials.

Should I Take Part in a Clinical Trial?
(Posted: 08/30/2001, Reviewed: 04/08/2008) - A discussion of the risks, benefits and participant protections associated with a patient's enrollment in a clinical trial.

Should I Take Part in a Cancer Prevention Trial?
(Updated: 07/27/2004) - A discussion of the pros and cons of participating in a cancer prevention trial.

How Do I Take Part in a Clinical Trial?
(Posted: 01/10/2000, Reviewed: 04/08/2008) - A discussion of such factors as a patient's eligibility for a trial, trial locations, and paying for patient care costs.

Participating in a Trial: Questions to Ask Your Doctor
(Posted: 08/30/2001, Reviewed: 04/08/2008) - Anyone considering a clinical trial should feel free to ask questions. Here are some suggestions.

How Is a Clinical Trial Planned and Carried Out?
(Posted: 01/10/2001, Reviewed: 04/04/2008) - In order to make a decision about participating in a clinical trial, it helps to know how trials are conceived and run.

Protecting Participants in Clinical Trials
(Posted: 08/30/2001, Reviewed: 05/01/2006) - A collection of material about the ways in which clinical trials participants are protected before and during the conduct of a study.

Ten Things to Know About Cancer Treatment Trials
(Posted: 01/10/2000, Reviewed: 12/23/2003) - A list of the ten basic facts about clinical trials.

Eleven Things to Know about Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials
(Posted: 01/10/2000) - Some basic facts about cancer prevention trials.

Cancer Imaging Clinical Trials
Discusses what cancer imaging trials are and why they're important.

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Clinical Trials Education Series
The Clinical Trials Education Series is designed for cancer patients, health professionals, and the general public. It consists of 13 different educational materials (books, booklets, slides, videos) that can be ordered separately or viewed online.

Protecting Human Research Participants
This free tutorial is for physicians, nurses, and other members of clinical research teams. If you are an extramural researcher obtaining Federal funds, check with your institution to determine if this is the training they use to fulfill the NIH requirement for education on the protection of human research participants. This course is offered by the NIH Office of Extramural Research.

Clinical Research Training On-Line
The Web-based Clinical Research Training On-Line Course for Principal Investigators addresses one of the essential standards (training and education) approved by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for performing clinical research in the Intramural Research Program. All NIH intramural clinical principal investigators are required to take the course and successfully complete a final exam.

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Clinical Trials and Insurance Coverage
(Posted: 05/08/2009) - Information about insurance coverage of the patient care costs associated with clinical trials.

States That Require Health Plans to Cover Patient Care Costs in Clinical Trials
(Posted: 12/19/2002, Updated: 06/01/2009) - A searchable list and map of U.S. states that require health plans to pay for the patient care costs associated with clinical trials. Key provisions are summarized.

Resources for Financial Assistance for Patients and Their Families
A database of organizations that provides cancer patients and their families with resources for financial assistance. The database may be searched by type of financial assistance provided and keyword. Contains contact information for the organizations.

Medicare Coverage of Clinical Trials
(Posted: 08/22/2001, Updated: 01/10/2006) - A collection of material about Medicare's policy of covering routine patient care costs associated with clinical trials.

Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense Beneficiaries
(Posted: 10/15/1999, Updated: 05/08/2009) - A collection of material about an agreement allowing U.S. veterans and Department of Defense TRICARE beneficiaries to participate in NCI-sponsored cancer clinical trials as part of their health benefits.

Cost of Clinical Trials
(Posted: 02/09/1999, Reviewed: 11/25/2008) - A collection of material about studies showing that patient care costs for clinical trials are not appreciably higher than costs for patients not enrolled in trials.

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What Is Randomization?
(Updated: 08/03/2004) - A randomized, controlled trial is considered the most reliable and impartial method of determining what medical interventions work the best.

Which Study Results Are the Most Helpful in Making Cancer Care Decisions?
(Posted: 06/12/2003) - This article explains why a randomized, controlled clinical trial is considered the gold standard in cancer research.

Access to Investigational Drugs
(Reviewed: 08/04/2009) - A fact sheet that defines investigational drugs (drugs under study but not yet FDA approved) and describes the special conditions under which patients and their doctors can apply to receive these treatments.

Understanding the Approval Process for New Cancer Treatments
(Posted: 12/30/1999, Updated: 01/06/2004) - A look at how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relies on the results of clinical trials to ensure the safety and effectiveness of new cancer treatments before they go on the market.

Cancer Imaging
Imaging techniques - methods of producing pictures of the body - have become an important element of early detection for many cancers.

Boosting Cancer Trial Participation
(Posted: 04/21/2003, Updated: 07/23/2009) - A collection of material about the barriers keeping people from participating in cancer clinical trials.

Back to Top NCI Programs That Conduct Clinical Trials

NCI-Designated Cancer Centers
Information about NCI-designated cancer centers, including a map listing all locations.

CCR Clinical Trials at NIH
This Web site helps the general public and health care professionals identify cancer clinical trials taking place at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

NCI's Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program
(Reviewed: 03/28/2006) - A fact sheet about the NCI program for academic institutions and treatment centers that work with NCI to design and conduct clinical trials.

Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium
(Posted: 04/07/1999, Reviewed: 07/22/2009) - The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium is a network of medical centers that evaluate promising treatments for children with brain malignancies.

NCI's Cancer Imaging Program - Clinical Trials
Information about clinical trials and related programs of NCI's Cancer Imaging Program.

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