It is critical that young women participate in clinical trials to ensure that sample sizes of young women are large enough, results are valid and answers are found to the questions that confound young women and researchers alike. Many members of the YSC community have participated in clinical trials and other studies and have played a vital role in furthering research on breast cancer in young women. Participation in these studies is safe and well-monitored.

Sometimes clinical trials give patients the chance to benefit from improved treatment methods, before the new treatment becomes the standard of care for all breast cancer patients. However, there are usually several phases of clinical trials for each new treatment studied and earlier trials may consist of smaller doses so that side effects can be observed. It is important to ask about clinical trials before you receive any treatment because certain treatments may disqualify you from some clinical trials. You should only participate in clinical trials at reputable cancer centers that have obtained the necessary National Cancer Institute and FDA approvals.

YSC feels that clinical trials are an important component of treatment for metastatic women too. Visit our Metastatic Breast Cancer page for trials specifically for metastatic women.

What Is a Clinical Trial?

Clinical trials are research participation opportunities in which people help doctors find ways to improve health and cancer care. Each study tries to answer scientific questions and to find better ways to prevent, diagnose or treat cancer. Learn more about clinical trials from the following resources:

All About Clinical Trials (Cancer.net definitions and podcast)

What Are Clinical Trials? (ASCO podcast)

ClinicalTrials.com Knowledge Center (FAQs, glossary and educational podcasts)

How Do I Find a Clinical Trial for Me?

Be sure to ask your doctor about clinical trials for which you may qualify and be sure to monitor the YSC Clinical Trials RSS feeds listed at the end of this page. You can also contact the NCI Cancer Information Service at 800.4.CANCER (800.422.6237).

Additionally, there are services to help you locate clinical trials available online, including:

• BreastCancerTrials.org: A not-for-profit online service that helps users to find breast cancer-specific clinical trials that might be right for them. The site offers study summaries, a way for users to share their online health history with research sites, and an alert service that notifies users of recently added clinical trials. BreastCancerTrials.org includes studies sponsored by NCI, public research foundations and the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry.
• ClinicalTrials.gov: A registry of federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world. ClinicalTrials.gov gives you information about a trial's purpose, who may participate, locations and phone numbers for more details. A service of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• CenterWatch: Publishing and information services company that offers a list of institutional review board (IRB)-approved clinical trials.
• EmergingMed Navigator: EmergingMed offers a phone and Internet-based service that identifies clinical trial options that match a patient's specific diagnosis, stage and treatment history. Clinical trial specialists provide telephone support upon request to help connect eligible patients with IRB-approved study sites that are enrolling new participants.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI) Clinical Trials: Is the federal agency that provides funding for most cancer clinical trials. This site provides information on both open and closed cancer clinical trials that are funded by the government, pharmaceutical companies and some international organizations. Their site includes a section that features breast cancer clinical trial results.
• TrialCheck: The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO): Is collaborating with the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups, a network of cancer clinical trials specialists, to offer TrialCheck through Cancer.Net. TrialCheck is a search tool developed by the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups to assist you in locating cancer clinical trials.
• Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC): Collaborative group founded in 2005 to conduct innovative and high-impact clinical trials for breast cancer. The TBCRC consists of 14 research centers, with member personnel representing clinicians, basic scientists, statisticians and patient advocates. TBCRC trials not only test novel, laboratory-based strategies, but also attempt to understand the underlying cause and biology of breast cancer. Most, if not all, of the TBCRC trials have a specimen submission or tissue banking component. List of active protocols.

Other Breast Cancer Studies

Observational studies follow a survivor over a period of time to determine treatment outcomes. For example, an outcome study might follow young chemotherapy patients to determine long-term effects on fertility. List of current studies.