Dana-farber Cancer Institute

Clinical trials are scientific studies in which new treatments — drugs, diagnostic procedures, and other therapies — are tested to determine if they are safe and effective for patients. Nearly all cancer drugs in use today were tested and made available to patients through clinical trials, making them a crucial component of cancer research. But what does it mean for a patient to enroll in a clinical trial? In this episode of Cancer Mythbusters, we break down common myths and questions about how these trials work with the help of Geoffrey Shapiro, MD, PhD, director of the Early Drug Development Center at Dana-Farber.