Participate in Research

A group of scientists working in a lab

Your participation in research and science can lead to improved prevention strategies, more effective treatment options, better side effect management, a better patient experience, and even enhance the communication between patients and providers. The more that can be learned about prostate cancer as a disease, the more progress we can make together to improve the lives of patients and their families.

Prostate cancer research requires partnerships and collaborations between organizations, industry, researchers, clinicians, universities, private practices, patients, and caregivers, each with a wide range of backgrounds and areas of expertise.

The bottom line: cancer research transforms and saves lives and this is your invitation to join a community who wants to give back. Whether you share your story, provide your opinions in a survey, participate in a focus group, or enroll in a prostate cancer clinical trial, there are a variety of ways to give back to the prostate cancer community and advance science.

Types of prostate cancer research

As you determine your role in advancing research, it is helpful to know that research can take on several different forms. According to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), research can be divided into four broad categories:

Basic research

Basic research is the study of animals, cells, molecules, or genes to gain new knowledge about cellular and molecular changes that occur naturally or during the development of a disease. Basic research is also referred to as lab research or preclinical research.​

Translational research

Translational research describes an approach that seeks to accelerate the application of discoveries in the laboratory to clinical practice. This is often referred to as moving advances from bench to bedside.

Clinical research

Clinical research involves the application of treatments and procedures in patients. Clinical researchers conduct clinical trials, study a particular patient or group of patients, including their behaviors, or use materials from humans, such as blood or tissue samples, to learn about disease, how the healthy body works, or how it responds to treatment.

Population research

Population research is the study of causes and patterns of occurrence of cancer and evaluation of risk. Population scientists, also known as epidemiologists, study the patterns, causes, and effects of health and diseases in defined groups. Population research is highly collaborative and can span the spectrum from basic to clinical research.

Current prostate cancer research opportunities

  • Rare Patient Voice (RPV) has a number of participation opportunities for cancer and prostate cancer patients. RPV connects patients and family caregivers with confidential research studies that pay participants for their time. The studies focus on the experiences of patients and caregivers in order to help improve treatments, products, and services. If you are interested in finding research studies that might be a fit for you and lending your voice to improve the patient and caregiver experience, please follow this link: https://rarepatientvoice.com/ZeroProstateCancer/.
  • Participate in a Clinical Trial – Did you know that more than 800 clinical trials are currently underway in prostate cancer? These studies help prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer, and even manage side effects of cancer treatment. Clinical trials are critical to advancing progress in defeating prostate cancer. Visit ClinicalTrials.gov or go to our Find a Clinical Trial page to search for prostate cancer trials you may be eligible for. You can also learn more about the entire clinical trial process by visiting ZERO’s Clinical Trials page.
  • Share Your Story with ZERO – ZERO and our partners are continuously working with industry, media, and other patient advocacy organizations to review educational literature, better understand the patient journey, and provide overall feedback on experiences. Join the ZERO community to hear about available opportunities as they arise.
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