Lung Cancer Clinical Trials
What they are, why they matter, how they expand treatment options, and how to take the next step.Lung cancer clinical trials can offer access to cutting‑edge therapies and help improve treatment availability for everyone. Learn what they are, why representation matters, and how to talk with your care team about enrolling.
What Are Clinical Trials?
Clinical trials are highly monitored research studies that test new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, or treat lung cancer. Every participant receives the highest standard of care; no one is given a placebo instead of treatment.
Key points:
- Clinical trials evaluate new treatments or combinations of multiple treatments (e.g., chemotherapy + immunotherapy).
- Participants are closely monitored for safety and effectiveness.
- Trials may offer access to promising therapies not yet widely available.
- Participation contributes to future breakthroughs and helps others.
Phases of a Clinical Trial:
| Goal | Participants | Focus | |
|---|---|---|---|
Phase 1 | Assess safety | 20-100 healthy volunteers | Safe dosage range |
Phase 2 | Evaluate effectiveness | 100-300 patients with the condition | Does it work? |
Phase 3 | Confirm effectiveness at scale | 1,000-3,000+ patients | Compare to standard treatments |
Phase 4 | Long-term monitoring after approval | Thousands | Real-world safety |
Why Clinical Trials Matter in Lung Cancer
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., but research is rapidly advancing. Every treatment available for lung cancer began in a clinical trial. Today, more than 70 new treatments have been approved since 2016, and clinical trials are essential to continuing this progress.
Key points to understand the value of clinical trials:
Importance of Diversity in Clinical Trials
Clinical trials must include people from all backgrounds to ensure treatments work for everyone. That way researchers can learn about how lung cancer treatments work in different populations. This extends treatment options for not only people enrolled in the trial, but for current and future lung cancer patients.
Unfortunately, clinical trial enrollment in the U.S. may not fully resemble the makeup of the population. Yet many communities remain underrepresented. This is true for several reasons. One of them is the long-standing history of racial bias in healthcare which impacts access to care and trust in providers.
What to Expect When Joining a Clinical Trial
How Enrollment Works:
Referral Process
Not everyone is eligible to participate in a clinical trial. Before joining a clinical trial, you must qualify for the study by meeting certain "criteria" and speaking with your doctor about the clinical trial so they can refer you or help with finding the best one for you. These criteria can include age, gender, the type and stage of your disease, as well as your previous treatment history and other medical conditions. The criteria are different for each clinical trial.
Your Rights
Clinical trials are carefully monitored research studies. Participation is voluntary with the ability to withdraw at any time, for any reason.
Safety Measures
Oversight by medical teams, ethics boards, and federal regulators.
Clinical trials receive oversight from the medical teams and researchers in a variety of locations, including hospitals, universities, doctors' offices, or community health clinics.
Costs & Coverage
- Many trials cover treatment‑related costs; it is important to discuss specifics with your care team.
- The study may require a lot of time for traveling to the study site, receiving treatments, or hospital stays
- Your health insurance may not cover all of the study costs outside of treatment.
Risks and Benefits
There are both benefits and risks associated with clinical trials.
How to Talk to Your Doctor About Clinical Trials
Lung cancer treatment decisions, like clinical trials, can be complicated and sometimes difficult to understand. To help you understand if clinical trials are right for you, use the suggested questions to guide your conversation with your doctor
- What trials are available for my type and stage of lung cancer?
- What are the potential benefits and risks of the trial?
- What are the side effects?
- How will this affect my current treatment?
- What tests or visits are required?
- Will I incur any out-of-pocket costs?
- How long does the trial last?
- What happens if I leave the trial early?
Finding a Trial
Your doctor may be able to help you find a clinical trial. You can also search for clinical trials online.
The American Lung Association wants our patient and caregiver visitors to be aware of the following clinical trial programs:
- American Lung Association's clinical trials listing
- CenterWatch Clinical Trial Research Center One of the largest listings of actively recruiting trials, with information on studies, investigational drugs, and patient resources.
- ClinicalTrials.gov A U.S. government registry of public and private clinical studies worldwide, including trial purpose, eligibility, locations, and contact details.
- ResearchMatch A national, NIH-funded registry that connects volunteers with researchers; open to individuals with and without health conditions.
Additional Support & Resources
Page last updated: June 3, 2026
