Share with others! EyeMelanoma.org quickly gets you to the info & resources you need.
Share with others! EyeMelanoma.org quickly gets you to the info & resources you need.
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Before searching for ocular melanoma clinical trials in any database, please be advised by the National Cancer Institute that "there are many lists of cancer clinical trials taking place in the United States. [...] Because of the many types of sponsors, no single list [database] contains every clinical trial."
Learn about these different types of clinical trial databases — maintained by the U.S. government, cancer centers, drug and biotech companies, and clinical trial listing/matching services — in NCI's "Steps to Find a Clinical Trial."
"ClinicalTrials.gov is a [free] website and online database of clinical research studies and information about their results. The purpose of ClinicalTrials.gov is to provide information about clinical research studies to the public, researchers, and health care professionals. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) maintains the website."
"The study sponsor or investigator submits information about their study to ClinicalTrials.gov and is responsible for the safety, science, and accuracy of any study they list."
Filling Out the Search Fields/Filters and Understanding Results:
Instructions from ClinicalTrials.gov:
Once you have found a clinical trial of interest, ClinicalTrials.gov provides "detailed guidance on how to read the information in clinical study records."
Glossary of Common Terms from ClinicalTrials.gov will help you understand words and phrases frequently used in search fields and results. [The USFDA provides explanations of additional clinical trial-related words and phrases not included in the above.]
Using the "Condition/Disease" Field When Searching ClinicalTrials.gov:
1) To get started, look at search results using the term Ocular Melanoma to broadly describe the tumor. Then:
a) If the tumor is in the uvea, use Uveal Melanoma (which will automatically search for its synonym intraocular melanoma at the same time), and then try again as a separate search using the specific part of the uvea — Choroidal Melanoma, Iris Melanoma, or Ciliary Body Melanoma.
b) If the tumor is in the conjunctiva, use Conjunctival Melanoma.
Important Note: You will get different search results depending on which term above you choose to use in the "Condition/Disease" field. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to conduct multiple searches.
Accessing Phone, Online Chat, and Email Support During Search:
"NCI's Cancer Information Service can help answer your cancer-related questions whether you are a patient, family or friend, health care provider, or researcher. CIS is a free and confidential service. Our trained information specialists provide personalized responses to a range of cancer topics, including finding cancer treatment, cancer research, and clinical trials."
1-800-422-6237 [toll free], Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Both phone support and one-on-one online chats are available during these hours. This service is also available in Spanish.
From National Cancer Institute
Topics include "What Are Clinical Trials?," "Why Participate in a Clinical Trial?," "Are Clinical Trials Safe?, and "Who Pays for Clinical Trials?"
(Also available in Spanish.)
From American Cancer Society
ACS provides a printable list of "Questions to Ask Before Joining a Clinical Trial" and discusses "Risks vs. Benefits" and "Common Concerns About Clinical Trials."
From TriageCancer.org
This section of Triage Cancer's website provides information on clinical trials coverage by private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare, or VA. For details, click on "How to Pay for a Clinical Trial" in the green tabs at bottom of linked page.
From U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Human Research Protections
Resources include "Questions to Ask About Volunteering for a Research Study," Information on "Regulations That Protect Research Volunteers," and "Short Videos About Participating in Human Research."
(Also available in Spanish.)
Select the 'Learn More' link for additional information provided by the FDA: "Sometimes called 'compassionate use,' expanded access is a potential pathway for a patient with a serious or life-threatening disease or condition to try an investigational medical product (drug, biologic, or medical device) for treatment outside of clinical trials when there are no comparable or satisfactory therapies available. [...] There are times when it is not possible for a patient to be a part of a clinical trial. In those circumstances, expanded access may be the only way for a patient to receive an investigational medical product." [...] For serious and life-threatening illnesses, some patients may want to talk to their healthcare provider about
(1) trying an investigational drug through a clinical trial, expanded access, or right to try {The Right to Try Act], or
(2) trying an approved drug that is used for a different purpose than what is listed on the FDA-approved drug label (known as off-label use)."
Also: American Cancer Society provides a simple chart showing "differences between Expanded Access programs and Right to Try pathways" for compassionate drug use.
Search Tips From EyeMelanoma.org:
1) The first step is to simply fill in the "condition/disease" field, the first entry listed in the ClinicalTrials.gov database's "Focus Your Search" box. Use "Ocular Melanoma" as a start. Then hit the search button. The search results will now appear.
2) Find the "Expanded Access" option in the "Focus Your Search" box/column on the left side of the results page. (This option is displayed as the last item in the "Study Status" section near the top.) Next, click on the plus sign next to the "Expanded Access" words to open up further filter choices. Then, click on the "Available" button as the filter and select "Apply Filters" to see the results that show the currently available treatments for expanded access use that have been entered into the database.
Note: Tips for additional "condition/disease" search words for you to try can be found above in the first section of this EyeMelanoma.org webpage.
New information added to this webpage: April 23, 2025
Links to all external sites re-verified on this webpage: April 9, 2025
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