About Clinical Trials at Siteman
Patients at Siteman Cancer Center have the opportunity to participate in a variety of research studies designed to assess the effectiveness of innovative cancer treatments.
The team at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine evaluates every patient for open clinical trials. That means you have more personalized medicine and specialized treatments available, including help finding a study that is right for you.
At Siteman Cancer Center, clinical trials are an essential part of advancing cancer medicine and treatment. Designed and led by WashU Medicine researchers, these studies evaluate promising new therapies, diagnostic approaches and prevention strategies that have the potential to improve outcomes for future patients, while offering eligible patients access to innovative treatments not widely available elsewhere. Every trial is conducted under rigorous scientific and ethical oversight to provide the most advanced options while also protecting patient safety.
Patients at Siteman can join clinical trials at many points during their treatment. This lets them access new treatments that are not yet part of standard care, giving them more options. This not only benefits the patients by granting them access to newer therapies — it also makes a difference for future patients diagnosed with the same disease.
Why Choose Siteman
Siteman Cancer Center is a Lead Academic Participating Site in the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) and enrolls more than 9,000 patients in over 1,600 clinical research studies, including more than 600 therapeutic clinical trials each year. Institutions that hold this title demonstrate their leadership, efficiency, and strong enrollment numbers, even for rare cancers. They also share resources across other study sites to reduce the cost of conducting trials, making it easier for patients to enroll.
WashU researchers often develop new therapies from initial Phase I trials to practice-changing Phase II and III trials. When you choose your care here, you have access to world-class physicians who help shape the future of cancer care everywhere.
Across every disease site, our researchers are helping define the next generation of cancer treatment. Through leadership around the globe, they collaborate with leading investigators to design innovative clinical trials, present new scientific discoveries, and accelerate promising therapies into patient care.
Patients and referring physicians turn to Siteman Cancer Center from across the country and around the world when cancer is complex, advanced, uncertain or high-stakes — seeking the highest level of expertise across every cancer type – and access to the latest clinical trials, many of which are only available at Siteman.
Start Here. Get the Care You Need.
Our Siteman care coordinators – oncology-trained nurses who help with scheduling, finding the right specialist, and guidance – can help you through the process.
Call us directly or submit a form, and we will call you back.
Clinical Trials Advanced at Siteman
With one of the nation’s largest clinical trials programs, Siteman Cancer Center rapidly translates breakthrough science into more precise, leading-edge therapies — giving patients earlier access to emerging treatments and new standards of care than anywhere else. Siteman is changing the way cancer is predicted, understood and treated through genomic insight, biologic discovery, molecular diagnostics, and more individualized strategies in clinical care.
Many of the clinical trials advanced at Siteman Cancer Center have changed the standard of care and improved patient responses to therapy. With access to over 600 therapeutic clinical trials conducted here, patients also benefit from choosing care at a high-volume clinic with a history of developing trusted cancer treatments.
Some advances from clinical trials led by WashU Medicine physicians and researchers at Siteman include:
Why Enroll
Participating in clinical trials increases access to potentially lifesaving treatments and accelerates therapeutic advancements. Trial participants help advance cancer science and research and improve cancer outcomes worldwide.
Patients who join clinical trials receive either the best standard of care or potentially new, better therapies not yet widely available. The study team monitors their response to treatment, taking thorough notes to better understand it.
Trials are a strong first option for treatment, and enrollment is completely voluntary. You can withdraw from a clinical trial at any point. The quality of care you receive will not change whether you choose to take part in a trial or not.
Ask your physician for more information about clinical trials that might be available to you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Clinical Trials
Yes, researchers design clinical trials to prioritize patient safety first and foremost. Specialists from WashU Medicine’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) review the safety of a trial before it begins to ensure that the risks and side effects are as low as possible. They track clinical trials and protect participant safety throughout each phase of the trial.
You’ll get an informed consent form before joining the trial. This form will explain the study’s purpose, possible benefits and risks, and the logistics involved. Review these documents carefully and be sure to talk to your provider if you have any questions or concerns.
Today’s standard of care is available because of clinical trials that past patients participated in. The benefits of your participation in a clinical trial include:
- Access to treatments you might not have under the standard of care
- More treatment options to choose from
- More visits and close monitoring from your care team
- Help scientists understand your cancer type better
- Support future patients with the same type of cancer
In some trials, a sponsor may also cover some of the extra medical expenses. Ask your care coordinators about what they cover and what they do not.
Scientists conduct various types of clinical trials, known as “study types.” Each one has a unique role in the clinical field.
When you find a trial listed on clinicaltrials.gov, it will classify the study type as interventional, observational, or expanded access. Most patients will be enrolled in an interventional trial, where you might receive one or more types of therapy.
Subtypes of clinical trials include:
- Treatment trials: These trials are for patients who are diagnosed with cancer to see how they respond to a new drug not yet FDA-approved, or to a new combination of drugs or therapies.
- Prevention trials: These types of trials look at preventive treatments to see if a new drug will prevent cancer from developing. Scientists will try to enroll people who have a high risk of developing cancer.
- Screening trials: Similar to prevention trials, these are for patients who are not yet diagnosed with cancer. They help scientists understand if new tests are reliable to detect a particular type of cancer.
- Supportive care (palliative) trials: These trials are designed to improve the quality of life for patients by reducing symptoms caused by the cancer or side effects from the treatment.
Each study type gives scientists insight into a specific research question, which may focus on treatment, prevention, quality of life, diagnosis, or cancer biology.
Phases show how far along the study is before becoming a standard of care. Each phase has a different group size with its own timeline and questions that researchers focus on. All focus on patient safety.
- Phase 1: This is the first assessment scientists perform to determine how humans respond to a drug or therapy. The groups in this phase are typically small, usually under 30 people, and the timeframe can range from 6 to 12 months. Researchers will find the maximum tolerated dose or the recommended phase 2 dose that patients can safely handle.
- Phase 2: This phase often includes up to 100 participants and allows researchers to gain more clarity on the safety and efficacy of the drug or therapy. It determines if the drug works and rates the potential side effects from intolerable to acceptable. Phase 2 is longer than Phase 1, sometimes taking two or more years before progressing to Phase 3.
- Phase 3: Here, researchers compare a new therapy with the current standard of treatment. It confirms the safety and efficacy of the drug over a longer period of time and with more people — sometimes up to thousands of people over a few years. This is the final phase before a drug receives FDA approval.
- Phase 4: The final phase of a therapeutic study comes after FDA approval. In this phase, researchers keep track of the long-term effects of a drug or intervention. They also design post-marketing surveillance studies and observe how the treatment works in the real world.
Scientists and researchers ensure that patients are safe and monitored at every phase. They will determine the right dose, note the side effects, and document the efficacy of the treatment throughout the trial.
Most qualifications for enrolling in a clinical trial depend on the following criteria:
- The type or stage of cancer you have
- Prior treatments you have received
- Length of time since you last received treatment
- Results of lab tests
- Current medications you take
- Your medical history, including prior history of another cancer
- Your level of activity
You can learn about these by talking to your physician. “Inclusion Criteria” lets you take part in the trial, while “Exclusion Criteria” prevents you from participating.
Your physician will evaluate you for eligibility in other trials or recommend the best standard of care option if you are not eligible to enroll in a clinical trial.
Most clinical trials for cancer do not use placebos – you will always receive at least the standard of treatment available.
Sometimes, clinical trials for cancer use placebos to compare patients who receive a new drug plus the standard of care with patients who receive the standard of care plus a placebo.
Your physician and study team will always inform you if your specific trial uses a placebo. Reach out to your care team if you have any concerns.
Most participants who enroll in clinical trials have insurance that covers at least part of their trial costs. Your individual plan will typically cover standard care as usual, including radiology or lab tests, prescriptions, surgery, or other treatments.
Other costs, such as copays or deductibles, are the responsibility of the patient.
Some clinical trials have a sponsor that might cover or reimburse some of the patient’s costs. Your care coordinators will be able to walk you through those if they are applicable to your situation.
Your Second Opinion at Siteman
Siteman wants to be your first choice for cancer care, but that might not always be possible. If you have received a cancer diagnosis, started care somewhere else, or are a physician seeking specialized care for your patient, ask us about a second opinion. You can start the process. To make it easy, our care coordinators guide scheduling for yourself or your patient.
