BreastCancerTrials.Org - Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Center of Excellence for Breast Cancer Care
Pilot Program Launches in California
Visit www.breastcancertrials.org
A cure for breast cancer -- it's going to take a lot more work by dedicated scientists, researchers, and clinical investigators. But they can't do it alone. Their success depends on thousands of patients who participate in clinical trials for the study of new, potentially breakthrough breast cancer therapies.
If you or someone you care about has been thinking of signing up for a breast cancer clinical trial, the time to do so may be now. That's because BreastCancerTrials.Org is here to make what's typically been a complex and confusing process simpler and easier than it's ever been before.
Why Should I Be Interested in BreastCancerTrials.Org?
Clinical trials are the main way to test the safety and effectiveness of new methods of breast cancer care, including new therapies. Because they give patients access to potentially beneficial therapies before the FDA completes its approval process, clinical trials may be an option for patients not helped by traditional treatment.
Unfortunately, only about 3% of cancer patients currently enroll in clinical trials. Why? Because it's often difficult for people to find trials that might help them - and then, once they do, it can be difficult to find out if they're eligible to participate!
BreastCancerTrials.Org, a nonprofit web-based clinical trials matching service, is specifically designed to remove these difficulties and make it easier to find the right trial for the right patient at the right time.
And here's something else you should know: The patient/clinical trial matching service and related online and phone support are provided completely free of charge.
Who's Making It Happen?
1. Patients looking for trials that could be right for them go to www.breastcancertrials.org, register, and enter information about their breast cancer diagnosis and treatment into an online database. It's easy to use as well as completely confidential and secure, and patients always have complete control over when and how their information is released to others.
2. Once the patient creates her (or his) Personal Health Record (PHR), it will be used to match the patient with selected breast cancer trials drawn from the trials medical researchers have registered with BreastCancerTrials.Org.
3. Patients will be notified of potentially appropriate clinical trial matches and receive information about the selected trials via a secure, password-controlled Message Center on BreastCancerTrials.Org.
4. After reviewing their potential trial matches, interested patients can:
*Clinical trial research staff members make the final determination of whether a patient can be accepted into a trial.
What Else Do I Need to Know?
The BreastCancerTrials.Org program began with a 6-month pilot project, launched May 31, 2005, that includes breast cancer trials in participating institutions and physician practices located in and around the San Francisco Bay area and Sacramento, Calif. This means that most patients participating in the pilot are or will be California residents because they can travel most easily to the study sites. However, eligible patients from anywhere in the U.S. who can travel to the study areas during the pilot period are welcome to participate. (One goal of later program phases will be to extend services to other areas of the U.S.)
Your next step. Are you or someone you care about diagnosed with breast cancer and interested in participating in a clinical trial? A visit to BreastCancerTrials.Org could be a step toward greater hope through participation in today's most current breast cancer research.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.
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