Finding a Clinical Trial

You may need to spend some time searching to find a clinical trial that fits you. Clinical trials ask very specific research questions. This means that each trial looks for patients who meet certain criteria. These might include disease stage, age range and prior treatment.

Resources

• Transplant-related trials conducted by the NMDP or BMT CTN, including a trial comparing bone marrow vs. PBSC for unrelated donor transplants.
• http://www.bmtctn.net - Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) Web site. BMT CTN sponsors transplant-related clinical trials.
• http://www.clinicaltrials.gov - Database of clinical trials maintained by the National Institutes of Health.
• http://cancertrials.nci.nih.gov - Database of cancer clinical trials maintained by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This Web site also has information about NCI Cooperative Cancer Centers, where many clinical trials are done.
• http://www.cancertrialshelp.org - Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups Web site. This site has information about groups that operate clinical trials that include several medical centers working together.

Questions to ask

• For a list of questions to ask before joining a trial, see the National Cancer Institute Web site: http://www.nci.nih.gov/clinicaltrials/understanding/
  questions-to-ask-about-participating.
• To learn more about planning for the costs of treatment in a trial, see Financial Assistance for Transplant Patients.
• For help with general questions about clinical trials, blood marrow or cord transplants and planning for treatment costs, call the National Marrow Donor Program at 1 (888) 999-6743, toll-free within the United States, or at 1 (612) 627-8140.