Are you looking for clinical trials to treat your or a loved one’s cancer? A Google search consisting of “Clinical Trials Near Me” might not give you the results for which you are hoping. Clinical trials have eligibility criteria that you must qualify for and can often be geographically out of reach. It can be difficult to understand if the clinical trial’s treatment will be beneficial for your specific cancer case, and far too often, patients travel to a clinical trial site to learn that they are not eligible for a trial.

Massive Bio realized that finding a cancer clinical trial was an overwhelming, time-consuming, and complex experience, so we created a tool to help streamline the process.

How Do I Find Clinical Trials Near Me?

Massive Bio developed advanced technology and paired it with a case management team led by oncology nurses to help patients find a cancer clinical trial that is right for them. The Clinical Trial Matching System (CTMS) uses an AI (Artificial Intelligence)-enabled platform to find clinical trials that match each specific cancer case. A patient’s disease stage, biomarker status, histology, medical history, and geographical location, among others, are taken into consideration during the matching process to provide the most relevant trial results. Once a patient receives their matches, a Massive Bio case manager discusses the results with them and answers any questions before beginning the enrollment process.

This virtual tool enables patients to access the latest in cancer care by giving them the knowledge of all their available options. With over 170 custom clinical algorithms built into the AI-enabled platform, the world’s best clinical research is used to pair patients with clinical trials near them.

Why Should I Participate in a Clinical Trial?

Medical advancement relies on clinical trials to find new ways to prevent, detect, and treat diseases. The goal of a clinical trial is to determine if a new treatment or test is safe and effective. Clinical trials can involve new drugs, new combinations of drugs, new surgical procedures or devices, and new ways to use existing treatments.

Clinical trials need people to participate in order to learn more about the treatments and tests being researched. Cancer patients may participate in a clinical trial to get access to a new treatment and additional care from clinical trial staff. Cancer patients may also participate in a clinical trial to help current and future cancer patients who receive the same type of treatment. Clinical trials allow patients to have first access to potentially life changing treatment before it is made available to the public.

Are Clinical Trials Safe?

All clinical trials follow a protocol that is designed to balance the benefits and risks to participants. All protocols have measures that protect participants from risks. Before a trial can be conducted, it is reviewed by an institutional review board (IRB). The review ensures the trial is feasible, safe, and designed correctly. Furthermore, during the trial, patients are closely monitored by clinical trial staff and safety is a priority. Patients also have the ability to stop participation at any point throughout the trial.

Will I Receive a Placebo Treatment?

At the bare minimum, patients participating in a clinical trial will receive the standard of care, which is a drug or treatment that is accepted by medical professionals as a proper and widely used treatment. Placebos may be used in some phase III studies, but they are not used alone if there is a treatment available that is already known to work. If there is a possibility of receiving a placebo treatment, the patient will be notified.

Types of Clinical Trials

There are different types of clinical trials:

Prevention Trials
Screening Trials
Diagnostic Trials
Treatment Trials
Behavioral Trials
Quality of Life Trials

Phases of Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are conducted in phases I-IV.

Phase I
- Determining an accurate schedule of treatment
- Finding the safest and most effective dose
- Understanding the treatments side effects
Phase II
- Establishing an understanding of whether the treatment has an effect on the cancer
- Determining the specific cancer types for which the treatment is most effective
Phase III
- Comparing the treatment being studied with the current treatment available and determining its efficacy
- Placebos may be used in some phase III studies, but they are never used alone if there is a treatment available that is already known to work
Phase IV