Welcome to the Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare Protocol Database. This database is a resource designed for use by physicians and patients at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center and the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.

This database offers a centralized listing of clinical trials available at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH). Each member institution of Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare is a major teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a member of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, a nationally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Adult Clinical Trials
Search all open clinical trials at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center that are currently accepting new patients. Trial details, including eligibility criteria and contact information, are provided here. This service also helps visitors find suitable matches of clinical trials that are taking place all over the U.S.

What Is A Clinical Trial?

Clinical trials are specific treatment plans designed to advance our knowledge of how to treat cancer. Clinical trials (also called "protocols") are a rigorous method of assessing new treatment strategies and are traditionally defined in three stages, or phases. Each phase is designed to further our understanding of cancer treatment by answering specific questions. A phase I trial is the first step in the assessment of a promising new therapy.

A phase I trial is only begun when there is convincing laboratory or other evidence that suggests that the treatment is worth evaluating in patients. However, the efficacy of the treatment and extent of side effects are not known. A phase I trial hopes to answer the question: "Is this drug or treatment plan safe to administer to patients, and if so, what is the best dose to give?"

Once a phase I trial has been completed, a phase II trial is undertaken. Phase II trials involve more patients and are focused on the question: "Is this therapy of benefit to patients with a specific disease or class of diseases?"

A phase III trial requires the participation of many patients, and is the last stage before a new therapy can be considered safe and effective for general use. A phase III trial will often compare the new therapy with a more standard or traditional therapy, and is designed to answer several questions, including: "Is this treatment an improvement over previous therapy? How do the side effects of this treatment compare to previous therapy?"