Clinical Trials and Research

Clinical trials are research studies in which patients volunteer to take part in tests of new drugs, devices, or procedures. Doctors use findings from clinical trials to learn if promising approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are effective. They are in the final stages of a long and careful research process, aimed to improve health and cancer care.

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Innovative Research Close to Home

New drugs and devices must go through many different stages before becoming available to patients for clinical trials. Drug and device testing begins with extensive laboratory and animal research, which can involve many years of experiments and studies. If the laboratory and animal research is successful, the drug or device is then sent to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval for research and testing in humans. If the FDA determines the drug or device is safe, it is then offered to patients for clinical trial testing. Some clinical trials involve already approved drugs or devices used in a different way. Patient safety and side effects are monitored throughout the clinical trials.

Access to clinical trials has traditionally been limited to high-caliber academic research hospitals. However, patients in the Baptist system have gained access to these trials through the Baptist Cancer Center’s (BCC) membership in an exclusive national NCI-supported network that brings clinical trials to people in their communities. The BCC offers Mid-South residents the opportunity to participate in innovative research and treatment from close to home through its continually expanding network of community hospitals across the region.