Clinical Trials

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. Many pancreatic patients participate in clinical trials, which are based on the most up-to-date information.

Researchers are currently looking at new chemotherapy drugs and are studying combinations of chemotherapy drugs with radiation therapy. Research is also under way to evaluate pancreatic cancer vaccines intended to stimulate the patient's immune system. Patients whose disease has spread can use many of these procedures.

Patients who take place 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. Although clinical trials may pose some risk, researchers take careful steps to protect people who take part.

Clinical trials come in four phases:

• Phase I trials, investigators try to determine the most effective and safe dosage.
• 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.
• Phase III trials, researchers compare the experimental treatment with the standard treatment. 
• Phase IV trials, researchers monitor the effects of long-term usage.

For Hutchinson Center Clinical Trials, click here.

For our Patient Guide to Clinical Trials, click here.

Listen to SCCA's Medical Director, Dr. F. Marc Stewart, as he speaks about Clinical Trials: Myths and Facts, in a recent Patient Power interview. More >

For more information on clinical trials, a patient should talk to his or her doctor. 

December 2007