Clinical Trials

Clinical trials of new drugs and treatments offer patients the chance to benefit from the very latest medical breakthroughs prior to them becoming generally available. Therapeutic trials of new cancer treatments are conducted in three different phases, starting with Phase I studies which are the most basic. In the Phase I stage, a drug may be tested to evaluate dosages of the treatment and how often it can be administered without spurring intolerable side effects. Phase II studies employ results from the Phase I stage in treating a targeted population of patients who responded favorably in Phase I trials. Meanwhile, Phase III studies are most often applied to patients who have just been diagnosed with a particular condition. These trials test standard treatments that are currently in use against the most promising new treatments.