Booklet: What You Need to Know about Melanoma

Clinical Trials

Many people with melanoma take part in clinical trials (treatment studies). Doctors conduct clinical trials to learn about the effectiveness and side effects of new treatments. In some trials, all patients receive the new treatment. In others, doctors compare different therapies by giving the new treatment to one group of patients and the standard therapy to another group; or they may compare one standard treatment with another.

Research has led to significant advances in the treatment of melanoma. Through research, doctors learn new ways to treat melanoma that may be more effective than standard therapies. People who take part in these trials have the first chance to benefit from treatments that have shown promise in earlier research. They also make an important contribution to medical science.

Doctors are studying new ways of treating melanoma. Clinical trials involve chemotherapy, biological therapies, and radiation therapy; new drugs and drug combinations; and new ways of combining various types of treatment. Some trials are designed to explore ways to reduce the side effects of treatment and to improve the quality of life.

Patients who are interested in taking part in a clinical trial should talk with their doctor. They may want to read the National Cancer Institute booklet Taking Part in Clinical Trials: What Cancer Patients Need To Know, which explains the possible benefits and risks of clinical trials.

One way to learn about clinical trials is through PDQ, a cancer information database developed by the National Cancer Institute. PDQ contains information about cancer treatment and about clinical trials in progress throughout the country. The Cancer Information Service can provide PDQ information to patients and the public. Online sources of NCI information, including PDQ, are listed under the National Cancer Institute Information Resources section.

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