New clinical trials open every day, and Roswell Park typically has more than 1,000 active clinical trials at any given time. This means that as many as 50% of our patients are eligible for a clinical trial. To get started, follow these steps.
1. Look for your options
Start by talking with your doctor who may know about upcoming trials not yet open. You can also search for currently open clinical trials at Roswell Park here:
2. Check the eligibility criteria
All trials will have specific eligibility criteria that spells out who can and cannot enroll. The criteria might include the type of cancer, the stage, your age, previous treatments, a specific gene mutation, and more. If you’re not sure whether you are eligible, ask your doctor or contact the study organizers.
3. Read the study description
Your clinical research coordinator
At Roswell Park, every patient on a clinical trial is assigned a clinical research coordinator, who is responsible for ensuring that you receive the appropriate care.
Each clinical trial follows a protocol, a specific plan that describes how the study will be carried out. In reading this description, you will likely have more questions for your doctor or the study organizers.
4. Contact the study organizers
When you find a trial, the contact information of the study organizer will be listed. If the organizer thinks you meet the criteria, they will set up an appointment to meet you, undergo an exam and/or testing to ensure you do meet the criteria, and explain how the study will be conducted and the treatments involved, as part of the informed consent process.
For any clinical trial at Roswell Park call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or E-mail: AskRoswell@RoswellPark.org.