Clinical Trial Lingo

Clinical trials are highly regulated and must follow many protocols and procedures. The language researchers use to describe their work often contains words that are unfamiliar to most people. It is important to know not only the phase of a trial you are interested in, but also how many “arms” the trial has, whether patients are “randomized” to different treatments, and if you and your doctor will be “blinded” to which treatment you receive. By learning the lingo, you’ll be able to understand a trial’s goals and objectives. You’ll also have a better idea of what questions you want to ask before you decide whether to take part.

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In this video learn how to understand research language to understand what a study is about

These sections of our website may also be helpful:

Treatment Options
Here you can learn about the full range of breast cancer treatment options. These options may include clinical trials.

Clinical Trials
Here you can learn about the phases of clinical trials.

Metastatic Trial Search
Metastatic Trial search is the first-ever clinical trial search engine designed specifically for people with metastatic breast cancer.