After the shock of hearing the words actually spoken- “colon cancer” or “rectal cancer”- follows the stream of inevitable questions. How did this happen? Will I survive? What’s next? Patients often find themselves confused by the array of treatment decisions that must be made quickly, while they are still dealing with the emotional reality of their disease.

Fortunately, today patients have a greater variety of treatment options open to them, guided by the steady progress of medical science. Since the very earliest days of cancer research, physician-scientists have built on the discoveries of their predecessors to amass an ever growing body of knowledge about the disease.

Oncologists improve these treatments through controlled clinical trials, also called clinical studies. These trials use proven scientific methods to compare promising new drugs and technologies against the standard of care. Besides paving the way for tomorrow’s treatments, such studies are also an avenue for delivering state-of-the-art care for patients today.
Clinical trials are the result of the partnership of the professor, oncologists studying treatment advances, and the survivor. The National Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) defines “survivor” from the time of diagnosis to the end of one’s life, no matter what stage of disease.

The future of curing cancer depends on clinical trials and the special relationship between the professor and the survivor - both full partners in the research endeavor.

Clinical Trials are research studies to investigate new options in the fight against cancer. They are protocols to further research into cancer treatment.

If you are interested in joining a clinical trial or to find information on current protocols, please click here.

Specific Clinical Trials for Colon Cancer

Please click on the links below to view:

The Professor & The Survivor®, Considerations for Participation in a Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trial

	Why are clinical trials important?
	What are the various stages of a clinical trial?
	How are patients' rights protected?
	Why is it important to be informed and proactive?
	Historical colorectal cancer timeline.
	About the professor and survivor.