Clinical Trials

A clinical trial is a study designed to test the safety and effectiveness of ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease. Learn more about clinical trials, and if one might be an option for you.

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What is a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is a research study that involves people. The studies are an investigation of ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease to see if they are safe and effective.

Participating in a clinical trial is a way to gain access to promising and perhaps effective drugs yet to be approved by the FDA. Hundreds of research projects are currently investigating the potential of new drugs and new combinations of drugs for prostate cancer. Clinical trials also test whether a new treatment is better at treating the cancer than the best treatment available today. The best treatment available today is known as the ‘standard of care’.

All treatments used today for prostate cancer are available because of past clinical trials and thanks to past clinical trial participants.

You may consider a clinical trial for several reasons:

  • Try new treatments or techniques that aren’t yet available to everyone
  • Have frequent monitoring of your prostate cancer
  • Benefit from expert medical care
  • Help others by contributing to the development of future treatments

Clinical trials and health equity

Clinical trials follow strict guidelines and are highly controlled and regulated to protect participants.

Historically, people of color are underrepresented in clinical trials. Diversity in clinical trial participation is critical to understanding the safety and efficacy of treatment options. When clinical trial participants are the same age, race, and ethnicity, data from that clinical trial will fail to help researchers learn how different people may have different responses to the same medication. For more information on diversity in clinical trials, visit our Health Equity page.

Learn more about clinical trials

Find more information on the types of clinical trials and how they're conducted.

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