Scientific research on breast cancer is crucial for finding better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for the disease. Clinical trials are an important part of this research. A clinical trial is a scientific study in which new treatment, detection or prevention methods are tested on patients.

Clinical research is different from laboratory research in that it involves studying the effects of treatments on human subjects as opposed to studying the chemical composition of the treatments or their effects on animals in the laboratory. Clinical research may be sponsored by government agencies or by private industry (pharmaceutical and biotech companies). It is usually conducted at large treatment centers and university hospitals, or by a group of individual physicians who gather and pool together information on their patients.

Some of the important aspects of breast cancer care explored in clinical trials include:

• detection
• prevention
• quality of life
• issues (such as exercise and diet)
• new drug treatments 
• new ways to use available drug treatments
• new ways to administer available drug treatments

"One reason to participate in clinical trials, aside from helping others, is the chance to receive top-quality care."

Clinical trials are obviously beneficial for all breast cancer patients as a group. But can they benefit you as an individual? This is something you have to decide for yourself. One reason to participate in clinical trials, aside from helping others, is the chance to receive top-quality care. Participants in studies are closely monitored by a health care team and receive either the best available treatment or the most promising new treatment for their condition. By participating in a trial, you may be one of the few to receive an effective new treatment that has yet to be approved for general use.

You may be avoiding clinical trials because, like many people, you’re worried about being used as a “guinea pig” for untested or potentially harmful treatments. In fact, a clinical trial usually represents the final stage in a long and careful research project in which new treatments have already been tested for safety and have been shown to offer possible advantages over existing ones. To ensure the safety of participants, clinical trials are overseen by a board of doctors and lay people who carefully review the protocol and ongoing progress of the study. In addition, every potential participant receives an informed consent form, which provides detailed information about the study and which you can sign if you decide to take part in the trial. Remember also that the informed consent form does not bind you in any way and you can leave the trial at any time.

Although your safety should not be an issue, there are some potential disadvantages to participating in clinical trials:

• You might have more tests and doctor’s visits than you would if you were not participating in the study. This can be an advantage because it means closer monitoring, but it can also be a nuisance. Keep this in mind when you consider participating.
• Your health insurance or managed care company may not cover all the costs associated with a clinical trial. In some trials, participants receive free care and even extra payment for participating. In others, patients must cover some of the costs themselves. Discuss the financial aspects of each trial carefully in advance with someone involved in running it.
• Even though you will always receive excellent care, the specific treatment you get may not be the better of the two options being compared in the study. If you receive the new treatment being tested, it may not be better than, or even as good as, available treatments. It may also have unexpected side effects. If you receive the standard treatment, it may not be as effective as the new one. There is no way to know which is better before the trial is completed.

To decide about participating in a clinical trial, talk to your doctor, nurse and other health care providers to figure out what type of trial is best for you, if any.

Visit some of the websites listed here to find out more about clinical trials in general and about specific breast cancer trials in which you can participate.

• Centerwatch Clinical Trials
  Clinical Trials Listing Service provides extensive lists of government- and industry-sponsored clinical trials on breast cancer and many other diseases.
• National Cancer Institute on clinical trials
  What they are, what to consider and how to become a participant. Search the extensive database for ongoing trials in breast cancer in your area, in the U.S., and in other countries.
• National Action Plan on Breast Cancer provides a list of ongoing clinical trials on or related to breast cancer and an excellent list of links to other clinical trial sites.