Why Are Clinical Trials Important?

  • The cure rate for childhood cancer has improved greatly in the last two decades largely because of treatment in clinical trials.
  • Patients are offered the opportunity to receive the most cutting-edge treatments by participating in clinical trials.
  • While advancing the care for their patients, doctors are able to learn more about the cancer and how the treatment affects patients.
  • This constant evaluation and improvement is what led to the success we currently have in treating pediatric cancers and will lead to even more effective and less toxic treatments in the future.

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Search the cancer clinical trials at Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Children's

Cleveland Clinic Children’s participates in a wide variety of pediatric oncology clinical trials in order to offer our patients the best possible care. These trials range from large national trials to investigator initiated “in-house” trials that are developed and conducted by Cleveland Clinic physicians and are only available at our health system. Our investigator initiated trials reflect the most trailblazing new treatments available.

We are active members of The Children's Oncology Group (COG) which includes over 200 pediatric cancer programs and has nearly 100 active clinical trials open at any given time. More than 90% of children with cancer are cared for at a COG site. These trials include front-line treatment for many types of childhood cancers, studies aimed at determining the underlying biology of these diseases and trials involving new and emerging treatments, supportive care and survivorship.

We are also active members of the Clinical Transplant Network (CTN) and the Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapy Consortium (PTCTC), which offers access to novel transplant clinical trials to improve the outcomes of pediatric transplant and cellular therapy.

Cleveland Clinic Children’s is a prominent member of several pediatric oncology and non-malignant disorders clinical trial consortia, including the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s Sunshine Project, Beat Childhood Cancer, North American Pediatric Aplastic Anemia Consortium (NAPAAC) and North American Immuno-Hematology Clinical Education & Research (NICER). These consortia are revolutionizing our approach to several of the most difficult to treat pediatric cancers.

We also partner with several pharmaceutical sponsors to make promising new medications available to our pediatric cancer patients. Cleveland Clinic Children's doctors not only participate in these trials, but also play active roles in developing and leading many of them.