Understanding Clinical Trials for Testicular Cancer

Clinical trials test new drugs and therapies. These treatments are not yet available to the public. They may work better or have fewer side effects than current treatments. Still, these are not yet cures.

Ask your doctor if there are clinical trials you should think about. Clinical trials work with select groups of patients. Not everyone can join. They have rules, called criteria, to follow. Here are some of the things they look at.

• Your overall health

• Type and stage of your cancer

• Types of treatments you've had

Talk to your healthcare team about clinical trials that may help you. Here are 2 ways you can find a list of clinical trials all over the country.

• Call the National Cancer Institute’s free PDQ (physician data query) line at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

• Go to www.clinicaltrials.gov.