Treatment trials are carefully designed research studies in which volunteers test new breast cancer treatments. Clinical trials are also referred to as clinical studies, medical research, and research protocols. Carefully conducted clinical trials provide the information necessary for the US Food and Drug Administration FDA to determine if and when new breast cancer treatments should be approved for use as routine care. Clinical trials for new breast cancer treatments are a very regulated process. They can only get underway after there is evidence from laboratory studies first in cells and then in animals, like mice that the treatment appears to work. Clinical trials that are investigating drugs that have been used for other types of cancer or other diseases, or that are using approved cancer drugs in new combinations, can also start as laboratory studies and are also very regulated.
Skip to Content. Use the menu to see other pages. This section explains the types of treatments that are the standard of care for early-stage and locally advanced breast cancer. When making treatment plan decisions, you are encouraged to consider clinical trials as an option. A clinical trial is a research study that tests a new approach to treatment.
Researchers around the world are working to find better ways to prevent, detect, and treat breast cancer, and to improve the quality of life of patients and survivors. Studies continue to uncover lifestyle factors and habits, as well as inherited genes, that affect breast cancer risk. Here are a few examples:.
It seems that you're in Germany. We have a dedicated site for Germany. Editors: Brooks , Susan A. Many new technologies involving large-scale analysis of gene expression, novel treatments, and emergent combined therapy approaches have opened fresh possibilities for understanding and effectively managing breast cancer.