An oncology clinical trial tests new methods of treating pediatric cancers, such as new drug therapies, new approaches to surgery or radiation or new methods for biologically targeted therapy. In a clinical trial, your child receives state of the art treatment and has a chance to be among the first to benefit from new therapies. Participating in a clinical trial helps ensure that children diagnosed with cancer in the future will benefit from what is learned from clinical trials today, just as your child benefits from what has been learned from past clinical trials. C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital scientists are actively participating in the latest innovative treatment protocols and clinical trials in the nation, to improve survival rates and scientific understanding of childhood cancers.
Phase I clinical trials and experimental therapeutics for relapsed and resistant cancers
Phase I clinical trials are the mechanism through which the very newest cancer treatment drugs are evaluated for safety and effectiveness. Phase I clinical trials are generally focused on patients with relapsed or resistant cancers. The Phase I and Experimental Therapeutics Program at University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital is the only program of its kind in the state of Michigan. 
Phase II and III clinical trials for newly diagnosed patients
After a new cancer therapy has completed Phase I testing, it then moves on to Phase II and Phase III clinical testing. During these Phases of research, the drug is more widely available to patients beyond just those with resistant or recurring cancers. Phase II trials evaluate side effects and study what dose would be most effective to use in the Phase III clinical trial. Phase III studies confirm the best dose and how to best administer the treatment, and compare it to standard treatments. Phase III clinical trials can last much longer than Phases I and II, and are generally much larger, involving many different hospitals. 
Why choose University of Michigan for clinical trial participation?
- Our children’s cancer program is the sixth largest program in the nation by total clinical study enrollment.
- Our program offers access to Phase I clinical trials and first-in-children protocols available only at a very limited number of institutions.
- U-M is the only Children’s Oncology Group Phase I Consortium member in the state of Michigan, which means that we offer unique studies unavailable at other hospitals in Michigan.
- We are one of the pioneers in offering high dose MIBG trials for relapsed or resistant neuroblastoma.
- As one of only a handful of NANT (New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy) and TACL (Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia) consortium member institutions, we offer families access to a number of trials only available at NANT and TACL institutions.
- Our oncologists offer new approaches in precision medicine through next generation gene sequencing in patients with relapsed, resistant and rare cancers.
- Mott Children’s Hospital offers patients enrollment in U-M investigator-initiated protocols and studies unavailable at any other children’s medical center.
- Our team conducts Phase I, Phase Ib and Phase II trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and a number of pharmaceutical companies.
U-M pediatric oncology physicians are well known nationally and internationally for expertise in translational research, precision oncology, and clinical and basic science research. Our translational research studies include our cancer genomics trial, Peds-MiOncoSeq, and a liquid biopsy study, in which we attempt to monitor a patient’s disease through non-invasive methods such as blood and urine samples.
Take the next step
Contact our clinical research with questions about participating in a clinical trial. Newly diagnosed patient families can call 734-763-6344 for our Phase II and Phase III trials. Patients with relapsed or resistant cancers can call 734-647-3529 for our Phase I and experimental therapy trials.