Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies in which people agree to try new therapies (under careful supervision) in order to help doctors identify the best treatments with the fewest side effects. These studies help improve the overall standard of care.
Today, fewer than 5% of breast cancer patients receive treatment for their disease in a clinical trial. Why? One factor is that information about current trials and how to enroll in a trial are often not well understood. In this section, you can learn more about what clinical trials involve and how to join one.
- What Are Clinical Trials?
- Why Clinical Trials Are Important
- How Clinical Trials Are Conducted
- Who Can Participate in a Clinical Trial?
- How Long Are Clinical Trials?
- Who Conducts Clinical Trials and Who Pays for Them?
- What Are the Different Stages (Phases) of Clinical Trials?
- Benefits and Risks of Participating in a Clinical Trial
- What Should I Know Before I Decide to Be Part of a Clinical Trial?
- How to Find Clinical Trials
- Definition of Terms Used to Talk About Clinical Trials
- Metastatic Breast Cancer Trial Search
- Sponsored Clinical Trials
To read the experiences of some of our Discussion Board Community members who have participated in clinical trials, visit our Member Stories: Members Share Their Clinical Trial Experiences pages.

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