Participate in a Study

SCCA was formed, in part, to bring promising new treatments to patients faster. For colon cancer patients this means more treatment options at SCCA than might be found elsewhere, including participation in one of many ongoing clinical trials conducted at SCCA and its parent organizations, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and UW Medicine.

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.

Open Clinical Trials at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

For more information about clinical studies, see the Patient Guide to Clinical Trials which includes Myths vs Facts.