November cancer awareness: Clinical trials for pancreas, lung, stomach cancers and more

By Mayo Clinic staff

Most months of the year recognize at least one cancer awareness date, whether it’s one day or a month-long observance. Campaigns that recognize these dates generally focus on educating people about their risk of cancer, steps they can take to prevent it and information on how a cancer is diagnosed and treated.

Health care professionals develop their knowledge about cancer risk factors, prevention, diagnosis and treatment by conducting medical research, including clinical trials — research studies that involve people.

If you're facing a difficult cancer diagnosis, clinical trials are an important option. Joining a clinical trial may provide experimental treatment options you might otherwise not have had.

Read on for more information about November cancer awareness dates and related clinical trials at Mayo Clinic.

Is a clinical trial at Mayo Clinic right for you?

Clinical trials are open for enrollment at Mayo Clinic related to these November cancer awareness dates:

• World Neuroendocrine Tumor Awareness Day (Nov. 10): Clinical trials
• National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and World Pancreatic Cancer Day (Nov. 17): Clinical trials
• Great American Smokeout (Nov. 17): Clinical trials
• Lung Cancer Awareness Month: Clinical trials
• Carcinoid Cancer Awareness Month: Clinical trials
• National Family Caregivers Month: Clinical trials
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Month: Clinical trials
• National Marrow Awareness Month: Clinical trials
• National Stomach Cancer Awareness Month: Clinical trials

If you think a clinical trial might be right for you, talk to your health care professional. This list of frequently asked questions can help.

For more information about participating in cancer clinical trials at Mayo Clinic, contact:

Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center
Clinical Trials Referral Office
855-776-0015 (toll-free)

What’s a clinical trial?

Clinical trials start with discovery science

The goal of medical research is to help people live longer, healthier lives. Patients are waiting — that’s what drives researchers at Mayo Clinic and across the globe in their quest for ways to prevent, treat and cure disease. In their laboratories, researchers explore ideas and test hypotheses through discovery science.

Watch this video to learn how discovery science works, what happens in the research lab before clinical trials begin, and how a discovery is transformed into a potential therapy ready to be tested in trials with human participants:

Clinical trials include multiple phases

Some discovery research ideas move into clinical trials. During clinical trials, researchers learn if a new test or treatment works and is safe. Treatments studied in clinical trials might be new drugs or new combinations of drugs, new surgical procedures or devices, or new ways to use existing treatments.

Clinical trials include multiple steps called phases. Watch this video to learn about the journey of a clinical trial from a discovery research idea to a treatment:

Learn more

Learn more about cancer clinical trials and search for a clinical trial at Mayo Clinic.

Also read these articles:

• “Faye Belvin: Living a healthy life, thanks to a phase I clinical trial.”
• “Mayo Clinic patient grateful after genetic test leads to unexpected, early detection of colon cancer.”
• “Addressing equity in clinical trials.”