Clinical trials: everything you need to know
A complete guide to clinical trial studies, how they work, and how to participate
Clinical trials are a vital part of medical research, helping researchers develop new treatments, improve outcomes, and save lives.
Whether you’re a patient exploring treatment options or someone curious about how drug trials work, this guide covers the essentials—from how trials are run to how CancerBot helps you find the right one.
What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials, also known as clinical studies or medical studies, are research investigations involving people. They are designed to evaluate new treatments, drugs, medical procedures, or interventions to determine whether they are safe, effective, and better than existing options.
Clinical trial studies play a key role in the development of new cancer therapies, offering patients access to cutting-edge treatments that are not yet widely available. Participation in a clinical trial often means contributing to progress in medicine while potentially gaining early access to innovative care.
Types of clinical trials
There are several different types of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in medical research. Treatment trials test new drugs, therapies, or combinations. Prevention trials look at ways to prevent disease in people who have never had it or stop it from coming back. Diagnostic trials explore new methods for detecting disease, and screening trials aim to find the best ways to identify conditions early. Quality of life trials, also known as supportive care trials, focus on improving comfort and daily life for people with chronic illness. Each type of clinical trial is essential in building a more complete understanding of how to treat and manage disease effectively.
Phases of clinical trials
Clinical trials are conducted in phases, with each phase designed to answer different research questions. Phase 1 trials involve a small group of participants to test a treatment’s safety, dosage range, and side effects. Phase 2 trials expand the study group to further evaluate safety and start to assess effectiveness. Phase 3 trials involve large groups to compare the new treatment with the current standard of care, often across multiple centers or countries. Phase 4 trials take place after the drug is approved and monitor long-term effects and performance in real-world settings. Each phase builds on the previous, and most new drugs and therapies go through all four stages before becoming widely available.
Randomised trials
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are a gold standard in clinical research. In these trials, participants are randomly assigned to receive either the new treatment or a standard treatment (or placebo).
This helps eliminate bias and ensures that any differences in outcomes are due to the treatment itself, not external factors. RCTs can be single-blind (where the patient doesn't know what they're receiving) or double-blind (where neither patient nor doctor knows).
These trials are essential in providing high-quality evidence about the benefits and risks of medical interventions, forming the backbone of clinical decision-making in healthcare.
How to find a clinical trial
Finding a clinical trial can be challenging, especially if you’re not sure where to start. Traditionally, patients have had to navigate complex databases or rely on referrals from specialists. Public databases such as ClinicalTrials.gov and national cancer research registries list thousands of open trials, but they can be difficult to interpret without medical training. CancerBot simplifies this process by asking a few easy-to-answer questions and instantly showing trials relevant to your condition, treatment history, and needs. This AI-powered approach removes barriers and makes trial participation more accessible to everyone.
How clinical trials are funded
Clinical trials can be funded by a variety of sources, including government health agencies (such as the NIH or NHS), nonprofit organizations, universities, and pharmaceutical or biotech companies. Industry-funded trials are common in drug development, while academic institutions often lead early-phase or exploratory research. In many cases, funding also supports patient care during the study, so participants don’t incur additional costs. Transparency about funding sources is critical to ensuring public trust and maintaining ethical standards in clinical research.
How clinical trials are approved
Before a clinical trial can begin, it must be approved by regulatory authorities and ethics committees. In the U.S., this process is overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while in the U.K., it falls under the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Approval ensures that the proposed study meets strict scientific and ethical standards, including protocols that safeguard patient safety and rights. Researchers must submit detailed plans outlining how the trial will be conducted, what treatments are being tested, and how patient data will be handled.
How clinical trials are supervised
Once underway, clinical trials are closely monitored by a range of oversight bodies. Independent ethics committees or institutional review boards (IRBs) regularly review the progress of the study to ensure it continues to meet ethical standards. Data monitoring committees (DMCs) may also be involved, especially in large or high-risk trials, to assess interim results and make recommendations about whether the trial should continue, change, or stop early. Supervision ensures that the well-being of participants remains the highest priority throughout the duration of the study.
Why clinical trials matter
Clinical trials are essential to the future of medicine. Every approved cancer drug, vaccine, and major treatment breakthrough has passed through a series of trials.
For patients, trials provide early access to new therapies and the chance to contribute to life-saving research.
For researchers, they offer critical data that shape the way diseases are treated.
Without participation in medical studies, progress in healthcare would stall. That’s why raising awareness and making trials more accessible is so important.
How CancerBot finds the right trials for you
CancerBot uses AI to match patients with clinical trials that fit their unique cancer profile. Unlike traditional search platforms that require medical knowledge, CancerBot asks a few simple questions about your condition and treatment history, then analyzes thousands of trial listings to find the most relevant options.
After you answer a few questions about your disease we present you with a list of eligible trials that you meet the criteria for. We also show you a list of potential trials that you might be eligible for with a bit more information from you. If you want to participate in a trial of interest, just click on participate when viewing the trial.
Whether you're newly diagnosed or exploring new options after treatment, CancerBot makes it easier to participate in clinical trials and explore all available care paths.
