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Educational Materials

Patient Care Costs

Special Topics

NCI Programs That Conduct Clinical Trials

The Science Explained

Introduction to Clinical Trials

Clinical Trials: Questions and Answers
An NCI fact sheet that explains clinical trials.

What Is a Clinical Trial?
(Updated: 08/30/2001) - A basic description of the reason for, and the kinds of, clinical trials.

Should I Take Part in a Clinical Trial?
(Updated: 08/30/2001) - 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?
(Updated: 08/30/2001) - 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
(Updated: 08/30/2001) - Anyone considering a clinical trial should feel free to ask questions. Here are some suggestions.

How Is a Clinical Trial Planned and Carried Out?
(Updated: 07/27/2004) - 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
(Updated: 08/30/2001) - A collection of material about the ways in which clinical trials participants are protected before and during the conduct of a study.

Facts and Figures About Cancer Clinical Trials
(Updated: 12/18/2002) - Answers to some frequently asked questions about the numbers of cancer trials in progress in the United States and the participants in these trials.

Ten Things to Know About Cancer Treatment Trials
(Posted: 01/10/2000) - 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.

Back to Top Educational Materials

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.

Human Participant Protections Education for Research Teams
A free, Web-based course developed at the National Institutes of Health for physicians, nurses, and other members of clinical research teams. This online course satisfies the NIH human subjects training requirement for extramural researchers obtaining Federal funds.

Incorporating Cancer Clinical Trials Into Your Practice
A Web-based course for healthcare professionals who are new to the clinical trials research process. The course contains practical information for professionals interested in referring patients to clinical trials, or conducting clinical trials, for the first time.

Clinical Research Training for Members of the Research Team at the NIH Clinical Center
This program responds to the federal mandate requiring human subjects protection education for research teams at the NIH Clinical Center.

Back to Top Patient Care Costs

Clinical Trials and Insurance Coverage - A Resource Guide
(Updated: 01/30/2002) - A guide to 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: 06/14/2004) - 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.

Back to Top Special Topics

Treating and Preventing Cancer with Vaccines
(Posted: 06/23/2004) - Cancer vaccines are being tested in clinical trials to see if they can help to prevent or treat a wide variety of cancer types. This feature provides an introduction to cancer vaccines - how they work and why researchers think they're promising.

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: Questions and Answers
A fact sheet that defines investigational drugs (drugs under study but not yet FDA approved) and describes how patients and doctors can obtain them.

Understanding the Approval Process for New Cancer Treatments
(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.

Questions to Ask About a Clinical Trials Web Site
(Posted: 08/27/2003) - Many Web sites exist to help you locate clinical trials. This document suggests questions that you should ask of such sites so that you understand the possible biases and limitations that influence the information and services provided.

Back to Top NCI Programs That Conduct Clinical Trials

NCI's Clinical Studies Support Center
The Clinical Studies Support Center (CSSC), as part of NCI, provides information to patients and their families about clinical trials. (See a list of NCI clinical trials on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md.)

NCI's Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program
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, Updated: 02/10/2004) - The National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced on April 5, 1999, that it had awarded funds for a Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, a network of medical centers that will evaluate promising treatments for children with brain malignancies.

The National Cancer Institute Cancer Centers Program
A fact sheet about National Cancer Institute-supported cancer centers.

Community Clinical Oncology Program
A fact sheet about CCOP, a program that allows community-based physicians to participate in clinical trials.

Searching for Clinical Trials Through NCI Cancer Centers' Web Sites
(Updated: 12/10/2002) - The many Web sites maintained by NCI-designated Cancer Centers are excellent supplementary resources for locating clinical trials.

Back to Top The Science Explained

Understanding Cancer
Discusses and illustrates what cancer is, explains the link between genes and cancer, and discusses what is known about the causes, detection and diagnosis of the disease.

Understanding Angiogenesis
An illustrated description of angiogenesis and its importance in cancer research.

Understanding Estrogen Receptors, Tamoxifen, and Raloxifene
Describes the hormone estrogen and its receptor. Explains the relationship of estrogen and its receptor to breast cancer and the risks and benefits of reducing cancer risk with drugs called antiestrogens and selective estrogen receptor molecules (SERMs).

Understanding the Immune System
Illustrates the immune system, the complex network of specialized cells and organs that distinguishes between self and foreign molecules inside the body. Explains that a malfunctioning immune system can cause allergies or arthritis and can fail to stop the growth of cancer cells.

Understanding Gene Testing
Illustrates what genes are, explains how mutations occur and are identified within genes, and discusses the benefits and limitations of gene testing for cancer and other disorders.

Cancer Imaging
(Posted: 03/23/2000) - A visual introduction to cancer imaging, featuring information about imaging technologies and their uses, imaging trials, and recent imaging developments.

Understanding Nanodevices
Explains nanotechnology and its potential to improve cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Illustrates several nanotechnology tools in development, including nanopores, quantum dots, and dendrimers.

Understanding SNPs and Cancer
Explains tiny variations in the human genome called Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). Suggests that SNPs may be involved in the different levels of individual cancer risk.

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