Clinical trials are studies that help answer questions about preventing, screening for, diagnosing, treating, and living with ovarian cancer. They may test new treatments, new ways to use existing treatments, or approaches that improve quality of life.
Depending on the study, a clinical trial may be available at different points in care or may involve people who have never had ovarian cancer.
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Last medically reviewed: September, 2026
A clinical trial is a study involving people that is designed to answer a specific health question. According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer clinical trials can study prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, supportive care, and quality of life.
Treatment trials may test a new medicine or a new combination of treatments. They may also study new ways to use surgery, radiation therapy, or existing treatments.
Not every clinical trial involves a novel cancer treatment. Some trials study ways to detect cancer earlier, reduce cancer risk, manage side effects, or improve life during and after treatment.
Each trial follows a detailed plan called a protocol. The protocol explains the purpose of the study, who can participate, what participants will receive, which tests are required, and how safety will be monitored. The National Cancer Institute explains what patients can expect during a clinical trial.
Every clinical trial has specific rules about who can participate. These are called eligibility criteria.
Eligibility may depend on factors such as:
These requirements help protect participants and allow researchers to answer the study question accurately.
Meeting some of the eligibility criteria does not guarantee enrollment. The study team will review your medical information and may perform additional tests before confirming whether you can join.
You can learn more about eligibility and enrollment through the National Cancer Institute’s guide to what to expect during a clinical trial.
Depending on the study, a clinical trial may be considered:
Prevention and screening trials may also involve people who do not have ovarian cancer.
Ask your gynecologic oncologist about clinical trials whenever you are discussing treatment options or a change in your treatment plan. Trial eligibility can depend on treatments you have already received, so discussing clinical trials early may help you understand all available options.
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Clinical trials do more than test new cancer treatments. The National Cancer Institute describes several types of cancer clinical research, including studies focused on prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care.
Prevention trials study ways to reduce the chance of developing cancer or prevent cancer from returning.
These studies may involve people with an increased risk of cancer, people who previously had cancer, or other groups depending on the study.
Prevention trials can evaluate medicines, vaccines, lifestyle approaches, or other strategies.
Screening trials study new ways to find cancer before symptoms develop.
For ovarian cancer, these studies are especially important because there is currently no reliable routine screening test for people without symptoms.
Participating in a screening trial does not mean the method being studied has already been proven to detect ovarian cancer effectively.
Diagnostic trials study new or improved ways to identify a disease or better understand abnormal findings.
These studies may evaluate blood tests, imaging, tissue testing, biomarkers, or other diagnostic approaches.
Treatment trials involve people who have cancer. They study new treatments or new ways of using existing treatments.
A treatment trial might study:
The National Cancer Institute provides more information about cancer treatment trials and how they are designed to evaluate new approaches to care.
These trials look for ways to improve health and quality of life during or after cancer treatment.
They may study approaches for managing:
Some supportive care studies may use telehealth, online surveys, or other approaches that require fewer in-person visits. Learn more about supportive care and quality-of-life clinical trials from the National Cancer Institute.
Treatment trials that study new medicines or other interventions are often conducted in phases. Each phase is designed to answer different questions.
Not every clinical trial uses this phase structure. Screening, diagnostic, prevention, and quality-of-life studies may be designed differently.
The National Cancer Institute explains how clinical trial phases work and what researchers are trying to learn at each stage.
Phase I trials focus primarily on safety.
Researchers study questions such as:
These studies usually involve a smaller number of participants.
Phase II trials look more closely at whether a treatment appears to work against a particular cancer.
Researchers continue monitoring safety and side effects.
Phase III trials generally compare a new treatment with the current standard treatment.
Participants may be assigned by chance to different treatment groups. This process is called randomization and helps researchers make fair comparisons between treatments.
Phase IV studies take place after a treatment has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
They provide additional information about long-term safety, effectiveness, and how the treatment performs when used by larger and more diverse groups of people.
Every clinical trial is different, but most follow a similar process before, during, and after enrollment. The National Cancer Institute provides a detailed overview of what to expect during a clinical trial.
You may hear about a clinical trial from your health care team or find one through a clinical trial search.
The research team can explain the purpose of the trial and what participation may involve.
A study coordinator or research team member may review basic information about your diagnosis and health.
This helps determine whether you might meet the trial’s eligibility requirements.
If the trial may be a match, the study team will explain the trial in more detail.
You will learn about the study treatment or intervention, possible risks and benefits, required visits, alternatives, costs, and your rights before deciding whether to participate.
Additional medical records, blood tests, imaging, or other testing may be needed to confirm eligibility.
Not everyone who begins screening will qualify for the study.
If you qualify and choose to participate, the study team will provide a schedule for treatment, tests, visits, and other procedures.
Your health will be monitored throughout the trial.
Participation may end when the study is completed, your part of the study is finished, your care team recommends stopping, or you choose to leave.
The study team can explain what follow-up is needed and how your care will continue after participation ends.
Clinical trials include safeguards designed to protect the rights and safety of participants.
Before a study begins, its protocol is reviewed by an Institutional Review Board, or IRB. The IRB helps make sure participant rights and welfare are protected.
Safety is also monitored while the trial is underway. The National Cancer Institute explains the safeguards used to protect clinical trial participants.
Informed consent is the process of learning about a clinical trial before deciding whether to participate.
The study team should explain:
The information should be provided in language you can understand. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides additional information about informed consent and protections for research participants.
Signing an informed consent form does not mean you have to stay in the trial. You can ask questions throughout the study and can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent also continues after enrollment. If important new information becomes available that could affect your decision to participate, the study team should discuss it with you.
Every clinical trial is different. The possible benefits and risks depend on the study.
Possible benefits may include:
Possible risks may include:
A clinical trial cannot guarantee that the treatment being studied will help you.
The National Cancer Institute provides more information about potential benefits and risks of cancer treatment trials. Your care team and the clinical trial team can also help you compare the study with your other treatment options.
The costs of joining a clinical trial vary by study.
There are generally two types of costs to consider.
Research costs are expenses directly related to conducting the study.
These may include the treatment being studied or tests that are performed only for research purposes. These costs are often paid by the clinical trial sponsor.
These are costs you might have even if you were not participating in a clinical trial.
Examples may include:
Health insurance often covers routine patient care costs, but coverage can vary.
You may also need to consider expenses such as travel, lodging, parking, meals, or child or elder care.
Some trials or support organizations may help with these costs, while others may not.
Before enrolling, ask the study coordinator exactly which costs the study will cover. You may also want to speak with your insurance company or a financial counselor.
The National Cancer Institute provides additional information about paying for clinical trials.
Start by talking with your gynecologic oncologist or another member of your health care team.
Your doctor may know about trials offered at your treatment center or may help identify studies at other locations.
Before searching, it can help to have information about:
The National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Search can help you find cancer clinical trials based on factors such as cancer type, age, and location.
ClinicalTrials.gov provides information about publicly and privately supported clinical studies in the United States and around the world.
The EmergingMed Clinical Trial Navigation Service can help match people with cancer clinical trials based on information such as diagnosis, stage, and treatment history.
You can search online or request help from a Clinical Trial Navigator. Navigators can help identify possible trial matches, provide information about study sites, and help you understand next steps. The service is available at no cost to patients, caregivers, and physicians.
For people with an inherited cancer risk or a family history that may suggest hereditary cancer, FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered offers a research and clinical trials search tool.
The tool includes prevention, treatment, and quality-of-life studies for people with or at increased risk for hereditary cancers. It also provides information about finding studies, understanding eligibility, and enrolling in research.
Finding a possible trial does not mean you are automatically eligible. Your health care team and the trial staff will need to review the study requirements.
🎥 Watch: How clinical trials are expanding ovarian cancer treatment options
In this episode of Teal Talk, Dr. Michael Birrer discusses emerging ovarian cancer treatments, biomarker testing, personalized medicine, and why clinical trials are an important part of developing new treatment options.
Understanding the details of a study can help you decide whether participation is right for you.
Questions may include:
💡 Prepare for a conversation about clinical trials
Choosing whether to join a clinical trial can bring many questions.
NOCC’s Questions to Ask Your Doctor: Clinical Trials guide can help you discuss eligibility, benefits and risks, costs, travel, participant rights, and what to expect before and after a trial.
A clinical trial is one option to consider as part of your care. Deciding whether to participate is a personal decision.
Before joining a trial, make sure you understand:
Talk with your health care team about how a clinical trial compares with your other options.
No.
Clinical trials may be available at many points in care, including before treatment begins, during treatment, at recurrence, or during survivorship.
Some prevention and screening trials involve people who have never had ovarian cancer.
Not always.
Clinical trials may be available at academic cancer centers, community hospitals, and other treatment locations. Some studies may also use telehealth for certain appointments or follow-up.
Other trials may require travel to a specific study site.
Ask how often you will need to visit the study location and whether travel support is available. The National Cancer Institute addresses common questions and misconceptions about clinical trials.
Yes.
Participation in a clinical trial is voluntary. You may decide to leave at any time.
Talk with the study team before leaving when possible. They can explain how to stop safely and help coordinate your next steps in care.
Learn more about clinical trial participant rights and safety from the National Cancer Institute.
Placebos are rarely used by themselves in cancer treatment trials when an effective standard treatment is available.
In some studies, everyone receives standard treatment. One group may receive an additional study treatment while another receives standard treatment plus a placebo.
If a placebo is part of the trial, you will be told before you decide whether to enroll.
Not necessarily.
Some trials assign participants to different treatment groups through randomization. One group may receive the treatment being studied while another receives standard treatment or another comparison.
The informed consent process should explain how treatment assignment works before you enroll.
Learn more about how clinical trials are designed and how randomization works.
Coverage depends on the trial, your insurance plan, and the type of expense.
The study sponsor may cover research-related costs. Routine medical care may be billed to insurance.
Travel and other nonmedical expenses may or may not be covered.
Ask the study coordinator and your insurance company about costs before enrolling. The National Cancer Institute provides additional guidance about clinical trial costs and insurance coverage.
Often, yes, but the arrangement varies by study.
The clinical trial team may work with your regular oncologist and share information about your care. Ask who will manage different parts of your treatment before enrolling.
Yes.
Some ovarian cancer clinical trials are designed for cancers with specific genetic changes or tumor biomarkers.
Your pathology, genetic testing, and biomarker results may help your care team identify studies that could be relevant.
Learn more about genetic and biomarker tumor testing in ovarian cancer.
Not qualifying for one study does not mean there are no other options.
Different trials have different eligibility requirements. Ask your health care team whether another study or standard treatment may be appropriate.
Learn about surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, other treatments, and how an ovarian cancer treatment plan is developed.
Learn how inherited genetic testing and tumor biomarker testing may help guide ovarian cancer treatment and clinical trial options.
Learn what happens when ovarian cancer returns and explore information about treatment, questions to ask, and support.
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