If you meet the patient criteria set for a particular trial, and you decide to participate, you may experience any or all of these benefits:

• Patients who participate in clinical trials often fare better than those who do not because they are followed better and monitored more closely
• Many studies are done on patients living with cancer and these studies offer them a chance for a cure or at least prolonged life that they may not otherwise experience
• Often the new techniques are less invasive, which means quicker recovery time, less scarring and shorter hospital stays

Clinical trials include research at three different phases. Each phase answers different questions about the new treatment. According to the National Institutes for Health (NIH), they are defined as follows:

Phase I trials are the first steps in testing a new treatment. In these studies, researchers explore the best ways to give a new treatment, such as by mouth, IV drip or injection and determine how often. They also try to determine if and how the treatment can be given safely, e.g. best dose, and they watch for any harmful side effects. Because less is known about the possible risks and benefits in Phase I, these studies are usually limited to patients who would not be helped by other known treatments.

Phase II trials strive to determine whether the new treatment has an anticancer effect, such as does it shrink a tumor or improve blood test results. As in Phase I, only a small number of people take part because of the risks and unknowns involved.

Phase III trials compare the results of people taking the new treatment with results of people taking the standard treatment to determine which group has better survival rates and/or fewer side effects. In most cases, studies move to Phase III testing only after a treatment shows promise in Phase I and II. Phase III trials may include hundreds of people around the country.