Clinical trials are research studies that involve people. Cancer clinical trials involve people who have been diagnosed with cancer, and sometimes, people who are at high risk for developing cancer.
Clinical trials are one of the final stages of a long and careful research process that often begins in a laboratory, where scientists first develop and test new ideas. If an approach seems to be working, the next step may involve animal testing. This allows us to learn if an approach is both safe and effective. Finally, clinical trials are needed to learn or confirm that a new approach is both safe and effective in humans.