Clinical trials lead to groundbreaking therapies for cancer and other serious illnesses. They can be the best way to get leading-edge cancer therapies, providing lifesaving benefits to patients participating in them.
“If you’ve ever had a loved one or friend who has received a cancer diagnosis, they may have mentioned discussing clinical trials with their oncologist — perhaps they even took part in one,” says Karla Olmedo, M.D., a hematologist-oncologist practicing at City of Hope Orange County’s Long Beach Elm and Long Beach Worsham locations. “For many patients with cancer, participation in a clinical trial is an important part of their treatment. City of Hope Orange County is a renowned leader in clinical trials that make the most advanced cancer treatments available to patients long before they become the standard of care.”
City of Hope offers more than 800 clinical trials each year, more cancer-focused clinical trials than anywhere else in California.
Here are five key reasons why clinical trials are so important.
Clinical trials offer new options. Typically, clinical trials study a promising new treatment that is on the path to FDA approval. For patients who face potentially life-threatening diseases and need more than their current treatment or who have tried all other treatment options, clinical trials provide new hope.
Clinical trials provide crucial insights. Clinical trials systematically and rigorously test to determine how effective an investigational treatment is and how its benefits and safety compare to existing treatments. They provide reliable information that helps doctors and patients choose between alternatives.
Clinical trials test for safety and efficacy. Before new treatments are used in clinical practice, clinical trials help ensure they are safe and effective. Clinical trials go through four distinct phases and many regulatory agencies before the treatment can be approved. Safety checks continue after the treatment is brought to market.
Clinical trial participants receive expert treatment and care. Patients who take part in a clinical trial get excellent attention and are carefully monitored and cared for. And because clinical trials are where the next generation of treatment comes from, the physicians, clinicians, and researchers developing and delivering the treatment are experts on the leading edge of their fields.
Present and future generations both benefit. Behind nearly every advance in cancer treatment are thousands of patients who volunteered to participate in clinical trials. When you participate in a clinical trial, your treatment may help with your condition now, and it may also improve care for patients in the future.
City of Hope Orange County is focused on increasing diversity in clinical trials in the Southern California region, removing barriers and making the latest cancer breakthroughs more accessible to as many patients as possible. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, ask your oncologist if you should be part of a clinical trial.
City of Hope is ranked Top 5 in the nation for Cancer Care by US News & World Report 2024. There is a City of Hope Orange County location near you, including two locations in Long Beach: City of Hope Long Beach Elm and City of Hope Long Beach Worsham. CityofHope.org/OC | (888) 333-HOPE (4673).
