Clinical trials are research studies that test new ways to treat your cancer. They test new treatments, procedures, or devices to see how well they work and whether they might be even more effective than the many standard strategies we already have established to treat kidney cancers. Clinical trials are an important part of helping to steadily improve our understanding of how to best prevent, treat, and cure cancer.
Trials can research a new diagnostic test for studying tumor tissue or a new medication or combination of medications. They can study a new way to do surgery or radiation therapy or a new type of scan.
Almost every cancer treatment given to patients was first tested during a clinical trial. That includes all of the medications now used to treat metastatic kidney cancer.
Doctors perform a clinical trial when they’re hopeful the new strategy is more effective than current treatment. Clinical trials may study:
- A new medication that has not been tested in patients.
- Applying an existing medication in a new way.
- Combining 2 or more existing medications that have not been used together.
MSK’s kidney cancer team is leading clinical trials to investigate new therapies for people with kidney cancer. All our trials take place in a controlled, safe setting with teams of doctors, nurses, data coordinators, and imaging experts to make sure patients gain the best possible benefit as they participate in research studies. Researchers follow strict rules to make sure that clinical trials are as safe as possible.
Our group has led many clinical trials that resulted in medications being approved for use around the world. MSK carries out many clinical trials and is always adding new research studies. At MSK, we give our patients early access to promising new treatment options through these mechanisms. This research adds considerably to the ever-growing portfolio of options we can offer to our patients with kidney cancer.
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