Clinical Trials

More research is needed to better understand DCIS.  This includes laboratory research, where scientists study patient tissue samples to learn more about the biology of DCIS, and clinical trial research.

What is a Clinical Trial?

A clinical trial is a research study involving patients that strives to answer a specific medical question.  It is the critical step when scientific inquiry and testing moves from a lab to “real world” human subjects.  Clinical trials are essential to the advancement of scientific and medical knowledge.  The data obtained from clinical trials leads to improvements in how we prevent, diagnose and treat disease.

Should I Participate in a Clinical Trial?

There are many different types of clinical trials.  Each trial has different eligibility requirements and not every patient qualifies for every trial.

There are benefits and risks to participating in any trial.  As a trial participant, you may have access to new treatments that are not available to the general public, you will be closely monitored by your medical team, and you may feel good knowing that your participation will help future patients.  There can also be downsides to participating, the main one being potential side effects from a new treatment.  Depending on the location and type of trial, you may need to travel a far distance to participate, which can cost time and money.

There are many safety protections in place for clinical trial participants. The health and well-being of participants are closely monitored and there are ongoing safety reviews by independent committees.  If at any time a trial is determined to be unsafe to participants, it is stopped.  Patients are also free to withdraw at any time.

Participating in a clinical trial is a very personal decision and one that you should make in consultation with your doctor and family. 

How Do I Find Out About Clinical Trials?

You can ask your doctor if you are eligible for any clinical trials.  Keep in mind that not every doctor knows about every clinical trial.  If you are receiving care at a research hospital, your doctor is more likely to know about clinical trials.

You can also do your own research about clinical trial options.  We recommend the following search tools:

• BreastCancerTrials.org is a clinical trial matching service that helps people with any stage of breast cancer learn about and find clinical trials that are right for them.  It lists over 500 clinical trials that are actively recruiting patients in the United States. 
• ClinicalTrials.gov is the U.S. government’s database of clinical trials. It includes clinical trials from around the world.

Both of these databases include tools to search by location and medical condition.  You can see trials specifically for DCIS by entering “DCIS” or “ductal carcinoma in situ” in the search box.

If you find a clinical trial on the Internet and think you might want to enroll, speak to your doctor about it.

Clinical Trials for DCIS

Clinical trials involving DCIS patients often compare a new treatment to the standard of care.  The results can inform how to refine standard of care and provide more options for future DCIS patients.

Currently, there is a very exciting clinical trial underway in the U.S. that could potentially change the standard of care for treating low risk DCIS.  Comparing an Operation to Monitoring, with or without Endocrine Therapy (COMET) trial is studying whether active monitoring (with or without hormone therapy) is a safe alternative to surgery for low-risk DCIS patients.  Similar studies are also taking place in Europe.  While COMET is no longer recruiting patients, other active monitoring trials currently recruiting patients include the RECAST trial in the United States and the LORD trial in the Netherlands.

At any given time, there are hundreds of clinical trials taking place across the U.S. and internationally involving DCIS patients.  Below is our own complication based on our own search of ClinicalTrials.gov.  To use this database, you can sort by clicking on the column headings or you can enter location or keyword terms into the search box. (If you are based in the United States, enter your state. If you are based outside the U.S., enter your country).

We try to keep this database current but due to the ever-changing nature of studies, it is neither exhaustive nor error-free. We strongly recommend confirming any information you find below with ClinicalTrials.gov and BreastCancerTrials.org for the most up-to-date information.  

Please note that we are in the process of re-designing and populating the database below and appreciate your patience while we do so.