Today marks International Clinical Trials Day. This is an opportunity for us to celebrate everything that has been achieved thanks to clinical trials.
We celebrate on 20 May to recognise the day that James Lind, a ship’s surgeon in the British Royal Navy, started what is often considered the first randomised clinical trial in 1774. His trial found a treatment for scurvy and changed the health of the entire British Navy. This shows how influential clinical trials can be, and their impact is just as important today.
Clinical trials carried out in the past underpin the treatments available today. They are vital for increasing options available to patients, as well as improving outcomes and quality of life. Clinical trials would not be able to happen without the clinical research professionals behind them. It is thanks to them that all the treatments we use today in the UK for lymphoma are approved and available.
The lymphoma research community is extremely active with many trials currently open investigating promising new treatment options. You can use our clinical trials database, Lymphoma TrialsLink, to search for a trial that might be suitable for you. Deciding whether to enter a clinical trial is an important decision that you should make in consultation with your medical team, so it's a good idea to print off and discuss the information you find with them.
We have lots of information about clinical trials, what they are, why they are done, and how they are carried out. You can also ask our Lymphoma TrialsLink Team general questions about clinical trials at trialslink@lymphoma-action.org.uk