Related Pages Search for Clinical Trials NCI's PDQ® Cancer Clinical Trials Registry. How to Find a Cancer Treatment Trial This guide will help you to learn about cancer treatment trials that are of potential benefit to you and to decide whether to participate in a particular trial.

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Introduction

U.S. veterans and Department of Defense TRICARE beneficiaries can participate in NCI-sponsored cancer clinical trials as part of their health benefits. The U.S. Veteran's Administration (VA) will cover costs for veterans participating in NCI-sponsored cancer diagnosis, prevention, and treatment trials at VA facilities. TRICARE beneficiaries are covered when they participate in most NCI-sponsored cancer treatment and prevention trials at civilian and military treatment facilities around the country.

Both the VA and the TRICARE trials coverage require that beneficiaries participate only in NCI-sponsored clinical trials. In addition, the VA coverage is available only to veterans receiving care at VA facilities.

To find eligible trials, you or your doctor can search the National Cancer Institute's clinical trials database. Review Help Using the NCI Clinical Trials Search Form for important instructions. Or go directly to the NCI Clinical Trials Search Form to look for active trials underway at VA facilities. Here's how:

• Go to the Location field of the search form and click in the circle next to "At Hospital/Institution."
• Click on the link in the box labeled "Choose From List". A new window titled "Find Hospitals/Institutions" will appear.
• Select the letter "V".
• From the resulting list, select one or more VA facilities by clicking on the box to the left of the facility name. (Be sure to scroll down to find facilities listed under "Veterans Affairs Medical Center.")
• When you're done choosing, click on "Add Selected" at the bottom of the list. This will enter your selections in the At Hospital/Institution box on the search form.
• From here, you can choose other search criteria or complete your search by clicking on the Search button at the bottom of the form.

Once you display a trial's full description, click on the link at the top that says "Trial Contact Information." The participating VA facility or facilities that you selected will be shown. (You may click on See All Trial Sites to view all hospitals and institutions participating in the trial.) Only when a VA facility is listed will the trial be covered under the VA agreement.

The NCI's Cancer Information Service (CIS), at 1-800-4-CANCER, can also search this database for you.

The NCI/VA Agreement on Clinical Trials: Questions and Answers
(Reviewed: 08/09/2004) - A fact sheet about the agreement between the NCI and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that permits veterans to participate in NCI-sponsored clinical trials.

TRICARE Beneficiaries Can Enter Clinical Trials for Cancer Prevention and Treatment Through a Department of Defense and National Cancer Institute Agreement
(Reviewed: 05/27/2008) - A fact sheet about the agreement between the NCI and TRICARE (Department of Defense medical insurance program) that permits armed service personnel, retirees, and family members to participate in NCI-sponsored clinical trials.

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Veterans Health Administration Cancer Program
This site explains the agreement between the NCI and the VA and includes information about participating in covered clinical trials. In addition, the "VISN Point of Contacts" provides a list of regional contacts to help patients and their doctors locate clinical trials within the VA system.

DoD/TRICARE
This page provides an introduction to the DoD/NCI clinical trials demonstration project. In addition, the page discusses coverage details and how to contact TRICARE about this benefit.

More Information about TRICARE
More information is available by contacting the DoD Demonstration Coordinator at 1-800-395-7821 for TRICARE Regions 6, 11, 9, 10, 12 and the Central Region, or 1-800-779-3060 for all other regions.

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