What is a Clinical Trial?

Clinical trials are an important part of medical research. When we get better at treating a disease, it is because of clinical trials. Through clinical trials we study new ways to prevent, detect or treat diseases. Trial treatments can include new drugs, new surgeries or devices, or new ways to use treatments we already have. The goal of a clinical trial is to find out if a new test or treatment works and is safe. Clinical trials can also help to improve the quality of life for people who are sick. Without clinical trials and the people who take part in them, we would not have the medical care and treatments we have today.

• There are two kinds of clinical trials

  • One is called Interventional. In an interventional clinical trial, we want to know what a new drug, device, surgery, or other treatment does for the patient. People taking part in the trial are placed into separate treatment groups that help researchers compare the results.
  • The other type of clinical trial is called Observational. In an observational clinical trial, the effects of a patient’s current treatment are looked at. This includes looking at blood samples and other tests to see what the treatment is doing to the patient and how it is working. An observational trial does not change the participant's treatment plan.

• Study Phases

  

• Be Represented- Importance of Diversity in Clinical Research

  The Parkland Oncology Clinical Research Team is committed to including all racial and ethnic groups, different sexual orientations/genders, and different age groups into our clinical studies. Our ultimate goal is to ensure your health and background is represented.

  Clinical trials allow researchers to answer questions about how well a new or existing treatment or medication works and how safe it is. To get the best information, clinical trials need participants from all backgrounds. Some people can be at more risk than others for certain disease, so it is important to include participants in clinical trials with different experiences. For example, including adults 75 year or older, people from different ethnic and racial groups, people from different social and economic background. and others underrepresented communities like LGBTQ+ communities and persons with disabilities.

• Our Partner Institutions:

  Parkland is the primary teaching hospital for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. As a Parkland patient, any clinical trial you are enrolled in will be conducted by our trusted UT Southwestern researchers.