How to join a clinical trial

Finding a suitable trial

The best place to start is usually to talk to your cancer specialist. They will have all your test results, records and reports, so they will know whether a particular trial is right for you.

Another way to find a trial that may be suitable is by using our clinical trials database. The database includes many trials for different types of cancer, some of which are funded by Cancer Research UK.

All trials have a list of entry conditions called eligibility criteria. These criteria make sure the trial is run safely, and the results are reliable. If you don’t meet the conditions of a particular trial, you won’t be able to join. But there may be other trials that are suitable for you.

To learn more about whether you can take part in a clinical trial, check the ‘who can enter’ section for each trial on our clinical trials database. Find out more about who can take part in a clinical trial.

We often get asked if people can take part in a trial for a new treatment they’ve heard about, even if they have a different cancer, or cancer at a different stage. Unfortunately, they can’t.

Finding out where a trial is taking place

Clinical trials are happening in hospitals all over the UK. Some trials run at several different hospitals. And some only run at one or two hospitals.

In each trial summary on our database, we list the towns and cities that have a hospital taking part. You can see this information under the 'location' tab.

The nearest hospital may not be in the same part of the country as you. This is something that you would need to discuss with your doctor. You may still be able to take part, but it could involve a lot of extra travelling or even staying near the trial centre for a while. So it is important to think about this carefully.

The Cancer Research UK Information Nurses can tell you which hospitals are taking part in a particular trial.

Joining a trial

Usually, if your doctor thinks you are suitable for a trial, they will discuss it with you. They might be involved with the trial themselves or they may need to contact a doctor involved in the trial. This is called a medical referral.

Speak to your own cancer specialist or GP if you see a trial on our database that you are interested in. You may find it helps to print off a copy of the information and take it along with you.

Each trial on our database includes contact details for the Cancer Research UK Information Nurses. You can contact them if you have any general questions about taking part in a trial. Or if you want to talk about whether the trial is likely to be suitable for you.

The information nurses are not directly involved with the trial, so they cannot help you join. Only a doctor or research nurse involved with the trial can do that.

You can phone the nurses on 0808 800 4040 (freephone) 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Or you can use our form to send a question.

Some trials are designed differently. They may invite a specific group of people to join. For example, this might be people registered with a GP in a particular area, or people having treatment at a specific hospital. You can't volunteer for these trials. If this is the case, we clearly explain that in the trial details.