Kidney Cancer (cont.)
The promise of cancer research
Doctors all over the country are
conducting many types of clinical trials.
These are research studies in which people volunteer to take part. In clinical
trials, doctors are testing new ways to treat kidney cancer. Research has
already led to advances, and researchers continue to search for more effective
approaches.
Patients who join these studies have the first chance to benefit from
treatments that have shown promise in earlier research. They also make an
important contribution to medical science by helping doctors learn more about
the disease. Although clinical trials may pose some risks, researchers do all
they can to protect their patients.
Researchers are studying surgery, biological therapy, chemotherapy, and
combinations of these types of treatment. They also are combining chemotherapy
with new treatments, like stem cell transplantation. A stem cell transplant
allows a patient to be treated with high doses of drugs. The high doses destroy
both cancer cells and normal blood cells in the bone marrow. Later, the patient
receives healthy stem cells from a donor. New blood cells develop from the
transplanted stem cells.
Other approaches also are under study. For example, researchers are studying
cancer vaccines that help the immune system to find and attack kidney cancer
cells.
Patients who are interested in being part of a clinical trial should talk
with their doctor. They may want to read Taking Part in Clinical Trials: What
Cancer Patients Need To Know. The NCI also offers an easy-to-read brochure
called If You Have Cancer...What You Should Know About Clinical Trials. These NCI
publications describe how research studies are carried out and explain their
possible benefits and risks. NCI's Web site includes a section on clinical
trials at http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials with general information about
clinical trials and detailed information about specific studies. The Cancer
Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER or at LiveHelp can answer questions and
provide information about clinical trials.
Next: What resources are there for patients with
kidney cancer? »
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