There are several types of clinical trials designed to answer different research questions.
- Treatment trials – test new treatments, new ways of giving existing treatments, or new combinations of treatments such as drugs, radiation therapy, surgery, nutrition, physiotherapy and complementary therapies. Most clinical trials in Australia are treatment trials. Some clinical trials investigate new uses for existing treatments, for example, whether a drug that has been proven to work for one type of cancer is effective against other types of cancer.
- Prevention trials – evaluate whether medicines or health programs lower the risk of people developing diseases such as cancer.
- Screening trials – look at new methods of detecting diseases before symptoms appear.
- Diagnostic trials – identify more accurate or less invasive ways of diagnosing a particular disease in people who have signs or symptoms.
- Quality of life trials – evaluate ways to improve the comfort and quality of life of people who have cancer; often assessed as part of a treatment trial.
Research methods has more information about how researchers make sure clinical trials are fair and reliable.
Medical Oncologist Dr Elizabeth Hovey explains the four phases of a clinical trial, and why they all play an important role in the development of new cancer treatments.
Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
A/Prof Andrew Redfern, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Clinical Academic Oncologist, The University of Western Australia, and Lead Clinician, State Breast Cancer Collaborative, WA; Christie Allan, Program Coordinator – Clinical Trials, Cancer Council Victoria; Bronwyn Chalmers, Clinical Trial Coordinator, Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, NSW; Sarah Coulson, Coordinator, Oncology Clinical Trials, Projects and Research, Tasmanian Health Service, TAS; Kate Cox, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Annette Cubitt, Clinical Trials Manager, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD; Pete Currie, Consumer; Amy Ives, Clinical Trials Coordinator, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD; Sabina Jelinek, Clinical Research Nurse, Murdoch Oncology Clinical Trials Unit, WA; Dr Visalini Nair-Shalliker, Research Fellow – Prostate, Cancer Council NSW; Karlie Neilson, Project Officer – Cancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW; Prof Mark Rosenthal, Medical Oncologist, and Director, Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit, VIC; Joan Torony, CEO, TROG Cancer Research, NSW; Rebecca Weselman, Senior Clinical Trials Coordinator, Oncology Clinical Trials, St John of God Murdoch Hospital, WA; John Williams, Research Governance Officer, Cancer Council NSW.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.
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