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

You can begin your search for a clinical trial by talking to your doctor. You can also find out about clinical trials using resources on the Internet.

• Transplant-related trials conducted by the National Marrow Donor Program^® (NMDP)* or BMT CTN.
• http://www.bmtctn.net - Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) website. 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 website also has information about NCI Cooperative Cancer Centers, where many clinical trials are done.
• http://www.cancertrialshelp.org - Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups website. 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, bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplants and planning for treatment costs, call Be The Match^® Patient Services at 1 (888) 999-6743, toll-free within the United States, or at 1 (612) 627-8140.

*The NMDP, which operates Be The Match, also conducts research to improve patient outcomes.