NCI's Center for Cancer Research (CCR) conducts more than 150 cancer and HIV clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Cancer and HIV clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center are open to patients with cancer or HIV, regardless of where they live in the United States.
To Make a Patient Referral
Identify trials appropriate for your patient by reviewing the clinical trials summary from a clinical trials search. For more information on a particular trial or to discuss a screening visit, contact a member of the research team listed in the trial's summary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How is the referring physician/health care professional kept informed of patient care and progress?
A. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the referring physician/health care professional coordinate patient care. The NCI principal investigator discusses the trial and treatment with the patient's physician/health care professional upon receiving a referral. Once a patient is enrolled in a trial, the referring physician may receive all medical records during the time of the patient's enrollment on a trial. We value the development of a collaborative team between the referring physician and the investigators. NCI encourages physicians/health care professionals to continue open communications with their patients throughout the clinical trial. Patients are encouraged to share their clinical trial experience with their physicians/health care professionals. Referring physicians/health care professionals are welcome to call the NCI research team at any time to discuss patient treatment plans and care. If you are uncertain about whom to contact, please refer to the study contacts listed on the study protocol summary.
Q. Who is eligible to participate in a clinical trial?
A. Anyone who meets the eligibility requirements can participate. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are given first priority. Because patient safety is of the highest concern, the NCI principal investigator and the research team make the final decision about enrolling a patient during the screening visit.
Q. What are clinical trial phases?
A. Clinical trials are usually conducted in a series of steps, called phases: Overview of Clinical Trials