Participate in a Study

SCCA researchers are involved in trials looking at bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for treating cervical cancer and on immune therapy (boosting the body's immune system to fight cancer cells). New anticancer drugs and combinations of drugs are also being examined.

Not all patients are cured with standard therapy, and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired; therefore, patients may seek help through a clinical trial. Patients who participate in clinical trials have the first chance to benefit from treatments that have shown promise in earlier research. They also make an important contribution to medical science by helping doctors learn more about the disease.

Clinical trials come in four phases. In Phase I trials, investigators try to determine the most effective and safe dosage. In Phase II trials, which involve a larger group of patients, researchers hope to build on what they learned in the first phase by trying to establish response rates and response durations, and by trying to determine what side effects will occur. In Phase III trials, researchers compare the experimental treatment with the standard treatment. In Phase IV trials, researchers monitor the effects of long-term usage.

Individual clinical trials can be found on the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Website.