The Promise of Cancer Research

Doctors all over the country are conducting many types of clinical trials (research studies in which people volunteer to take part). Clinical trials are designed to answer important questions and to find out whether new approaches are safe and effective.

Research already has led to advances that have helped people live longer, and research continues. Researchers are studying methods of preventing lung cancer and ways to screen for it. They are also trying to find better ways to treat it.

• Prevention: NCI is sponsoring studies of substances that may help prevent the development of lung cancer. For example, people with early non-small cell lung cancer are taking selenium to learn whether it can help prevent the growth of new lung tumors.
• Screening tests: Doctors are studying whether screening tests can detect lung cancer early and reduce a person's chance of dying from it. The NCI is sponsoring large research studies of chest x-rays and spiral CT scans for lung cancer screening. So far, chest x-rays and spiral CT scans have not been shown to reduce a person's chance of dying from lung cancer.
• Treatment: Researchers are studying many types of treatment and their combinations.
  • Surgery: Surgeons are studying the removal of less lung tissue and using internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy) to kill cancer cells that remain.
  • Chemotherapy: Researchers are testing new anticancer drugs and new combinations of drugs. They're also combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy.
  • Targeted therapy: Doctors are combining new targeted therapies with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
  • Radiation therapy: Researchers are studying whether radiation therapy to the brain can prevent brain tumors from forming among people with non-small cell lung cancer.

If you're interested in being part of a clinical trial, talk with your doctor. People who join clinical trials make an important contribution by helping doctors learn more about lung cancer and how to control it. Although clinical trials may pose some risks, researchers do all they can to protect their patients.

NCI's Web site includes a section on clinical trials at http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials. It has general information about clinical trials as well as detailed information about current lung cancer studies. Information specialists at 1-800-4-CANCER or at LiveHelp (http://www.cancer.gov/livehelp) can answer questions and provide information about clinical trials.

For information about taking part in treatment studies, you may want to read the NCI booklet Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies ¹.