Research - Clinical Trials

There is a vast amount of research underway looking at breast cancer, its causes, how to prevent it, new ways to treat this disease and how to prevent recurrences. One of the ways that advances are made is when women participate in research studies. These "clinical trials" have led to many of the recent advances in the field of breast cancer research. There are many different areas of research and our goal is to be able to offer studies in all of these areas.

Reasons you might want to participate in a clinical trial include receiving treatment that is not currently available to the general public, being followed by your treatment team more frequently, and/or knowing that you are supporting the development of future tools to manage breast care. Costs are usually paid by the study sponsor or by your insurance. The disadvantages might include more frequent visits to your doctor’s office, additional testing and possible additional costs that might not be covered by the means mentioned above.

Trial Phases

Research studies are conducted in phases. Below is a description of what the phase indicates:

Phase I - Evaluation of whether a new intervention is safe.
Phase II - Investigation of how much of a new intervention can be tolerated.
Phase III - Measures the effectiveness of the intervention, sometimes compared to the standard treatment.
Phase IV - Once the intervention has been approved for standard use, Phase IV looks at the long term effectiveness and side effects among the general population of people who have used the new method. Phase IV is not always performed.

Clinical Trials Available

To match your particular characteristics to available clinical trials, go to www.breastcancertrials.org .

This service allows you to enter your own health information and matches you to studies that you may be eligible for. These include new treatments, cancer drugs, new approaches to surgery or radiation therapy, new combinations of treatments or new methods such as gene therapy.

Breast Cancer Action Research Survey - Aromatase Inhibitors

Breast Cancer Action is a non-profit organization that works with other breast cancer organizations to bring about important legislative changes on both the state and federal level. In coalition with women's health and environmental organizations, Breast Cancer Action pushes for the answers that will lead to both true prevention and true cure of the most common cancer in women.

If you are taking or have taken an aromatase inhibitor for any length of time, your experience is extremely valuable to other patients as they make decisions for their own course of treatment.

Take the Breast Cancer Action Aromatase Inhibitors Survey to provide important feedback.

Other Resources for Clinical Trials

Breast Symptoms After Breast Cancer Surgery
Principle Investigators: Christine Miaskowski, RN, PhD, Marylin Dodd, RN, PhD, Co-Principle Investigator: Lisa Bailey, MD

Alta Bates Summit Comprehensive Cancer Center
http://altabatessummit.org/clinical/cccintro.html

Sutter Health Cancer Studies
http://www.cancer.sutterhealth.org/research/index.html

Bay Area Tumor Institute
http://www.bati.org/protocols/fast_facts_1.html

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
http://www.rtog.org/members/active.html#breast

National Cancer Institute
http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials