About Clinical Research

Clinical research studies seek to advance and improve treatment options for a variety of conditions, including solid tumors. They are designed to answer questions about the safety and effectiveness of potential new treatments.
Learn more about the each of these conditions below.

Quick Facts

Clinical research studies must be performed before a new medication or treatment can be approved for use and made available to the public.
There are common traits that people must have to participate in a study, called eligibility criteria. Common criteria include age, sex, medical history, and other medical conditions.
Right now, there are more than 500,000 research studies registered around the world.1

1 https://clinicaltrials.gov/about-site/trends-charts

Why Participate?

By taking part in a clinical research study, you can:
  • Get actively involved in your own healthcare
  • Potentially have access to investigational treatment
  • Help others by progressing medical research

The Importance of Diversity

Including a diverse range of participants in clinical research is important because factors like gender, race, ethnicity, and age influence how our bodies respond to treatments. Ensuring that people of diverse backgrounds participate in clinical research helps to determine that new treatments are safe and effective for as many people as possible. It could also help many people benefit from advances in medicine.

To help increase diversity in clinical research, Project Equity, a public health initiative, was established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) to ensure that the data submitted to the FDA for approval of oncology medical products adequately reflects the demographic representation of patients for whom the medical products are intended.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

FAQs Closed FAQs Opened

A clinical research study, also known as a clinical trial, is a medical study that helps to answer important questions about investigational treatments, such as:

  • Is it safe?
  • Does it work?
  • Are there side effects?

All treatments must be tested in clinical research studies before they can be approved for doctors to give to patients. Without people taking part in these research studies, we would not have new treatments.

Your well-being and safety are the most important parts of a clinical research study.

Before a clinical research study can begin, a team of experts makes sure it is safe and ethical. Ethical means that the research study is honest, and fair, and treats people with respect. These experts check that the possible benefits of taking part in the research study are greater than the possible risks.

Before you decide if you want to take part in a research study, the possible risks will be explained in detail to you. This step is known as “informed consent.”

If you qualify for and agree to participate in a research study, you will not have to pay for the investigational treatment. In addition, reimbursement for study-related travel expenses may be available.

When a research study is over, the sponsor may seek to publish the results (in a scientific journal, for example). Study results will also be posted on ClinicalTrials.gov after all study participants have completed the research study and study data has been analyzed. Your identity will remain confidential, and participants will remain anonymous to the sponsor. Only overall summary data results from participants will be publicly shared. Research results will never contain your name and will never publicly report your individual data.

Research studies are designed in specific ways to test investigational treatments for safety and effectiveness. One or more of the answers that you provided were outside of the guidelines for a research study. This does not mean you will not qualify for different research studies.

This program will be investigating multiple different study treatments related to solid tumors. If you prequalify, the study clinic staff can answer any questions you may have.

Do not discontinue any treatment unless you are advised to do so by the study clinic staff or your primary care provider.

Each research study in this program has a different schedule. If you prequalify, the study clinic staff can answer any questions you may have about the study duration and visit schedule. You can also leave a research study at any time for any reason.

What is a clinical research study?

A clinical research study, also known as a clinical trial, is a medical study that helps to answer important questions about investigational treatments, such as:

  • Is it safe?
  • Does it work?
  • Are there side effects?

All treatments must be tested in clinical research studies before they can be approved for doctors to give to patients. Without people taking part in these research studies, we would not have new treatments.

Are there safety measures for clinical research study participants?

Your well-being and safety are the most important parts of a clinical research study.

Before a clinical research study can begin, a team of experts makes sure it is safe and ethical. Ethical means that the research study is honest, and fair, and treats people with respect. These experts check that the possible benefits of taking part in the research study are greater than the possible risks.

Before you decide if you want to take part in a research study, the possible risks will be explained in detail to you. This step is known as “informed consent.”

Does participating in a research study cost me anything?

If you qualify for and agree to participate in a research study, you will not have to pay for the investigational treatment. In addition, reimbursement for study-related travel expenses may be available.

What happens once a research study is finished?

When a research study is over, the sponsor may seek to publish the results (in a scientific journal, for example). Study results will also be posted on ClinicalTrials.gov after all study participants have completed the research study and study data has been analyzed. Your identity will remain confidential, and participants will remain anonymous to the sponsor. Only overall summary data results from participants will be publicly shared. Research results will never contain your name and will never publicly report your individual data.

Why did I not qualify for a research study?

Research studies are designed in specific ways to test investigational treatments for safety and effectiveness. One or more of the answers that you provided were outside of the guidelines for a research study. This does not mean you will not qualify for different research studies.

What are the study treatments being tested? 

This program will be investigating multiple different study treatments related to solid tumors. If you prequalify, the study clinic staff can answer any questions you may have.

What about my current treatments? 

Do not discontinue any treatment unless you are advised to do so by the study clinic staff or your primary care provider.

How long are these research studies?

Each research study in this program has a different schedule. If you prequalify, the study clinic staff can answer any questions you may have about the study duration and visit schedule. You can also leave a research study at any time for any reason.

Explore what you can do today.

See If You Prequalify for a Cancer Study
Many patients with metastatic CRC, GEA, or NSCLC with c-MET overexpression are seeking additional treatment options. Researchers are dedicated to opening up new possibilities through clinical research. Join them on this expedition and explore the AndroMETa Studies.
See If You’re Eligible
Colorectal cancer (CRC), gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (collectively referred to here as GEA, which includes gastric, gastroesophageal junction, and esophageal adenocarcinomas), and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are all types of adenocarcinomas. An adenocarcinoma is a type of cancer that starts in the glands that line your organs.

CRC

CRC starts in the colon or rectum.

GEA

GEA can start in the stomach, the esophagus, or where the two organs meet—the junction.

NSCLC

NSCLC starts in the lung's tissue