Clinical trials are research studies where patients receive promising new approaches to brain tumor treatment. The doctors who conduct these trials are hoping to identify safe, effective brain tumor treatments that improve on existing approaches.
It is important, as a brain tumor patient, to research all the available treatment options – including clinical trials – before making any treatment decisions.
- If you have just found out that you have brain tumor, the time to think about joining a trial is before you have any treatment. Talk with your doctor about how quickly you need to make a treatment decision.
There are other treatment trials that are looking for people who have already been treated for their brain tumor.
- If you have already had brain tumor treatment but your tumor has now recurred, there are still clinical trials for you to think about.
The NCI’s “How to Find a Brain Tumor Treatment Trial: 10-Step Guide” can help you decide if a clinical trial is right for you.
Brain Tumor Clinical Trials
The following websites provide a comprehensive, searchable database of available brain tumor clinical trials.
- NIH Clinical Trials – This website includes National Cancer Institute-supported clinical trials. These studies are sponsored or otherwise financially supported by NCI. This database allows you to search by location, cancer type, treatment type, keyword or by trial phase.
- Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative Clinical Trials – The Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative (BTTC) is a network of medical centers with the expertise and the desire to participate in state-of-the-art clinical trials investigating new treatments for brain tumors. BTTC studies are focused on investigating the effectiveness and safety of treatment regimens as well as quality of life involving brain tumor patients.