Clinical Trials

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Clinical trials are a key component of high-quality care for cancer patients and enable cancer breakthroughs. Clinical trials help cancer patients access the latest innovations in cancer care, and they help advance new standards of care that can improve survival rates and quality of life for people with cancer.  

Unfortunately, clinical trial participation can be difficult and unreachable for many cancer patients, who often have to take time off work, travel long distances, and incur significant costs to participate. This leads to many clinical trials being unable to enroll enough participants and increasingly is leading to more clinical trials for new treatments and therapies being conducted outside of the U.S.  

ACS CAN is working to reduce barriers to clinical trial participation and increase enrollment among underrepresented groups, including rural residents, those with limited income, older adults and communities of color. 

Take Action

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Urge your members of Congress to make clinical trials more accessible

No cancer patient should have to pass up a clinical trial because of where they live or how much money they make. That’s why we need Congress to act. Send a message to your members of Congress and urge them to pass a bill that will make clinical trials more accessible.

Latest Updates

August 24, 2026

Today, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), joined by 128 other patient advocacy groups, public health organizations and professional societies, submitted a letter responding to the request for information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG) regarding

August 19, 2026
National

According to a new American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) survey, 89% of cancer patients and survivors say they would be more likely to participate in a clinical trial outside their local area if trial sponsors helped them organize or pay for travel and lodging to offset the extra travel.

July 13, 2026
National

Today, the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network submitted a comment letter to the Office of Management and Budget strongly opposing a proposed rule that would change the federal government’s grantmaking framework.

July 13, 2026
National

Nearly 200 patient advocacy, public health and health care professional organizations sent a letter to the Senate declaring their strong support for the Clinical Trial Modernization Act (S. 4440/H.R. 3521). The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would help remove cost and geographic barriers that keep patients from enrolling and participating in clinical trials. The bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Mark Warner (D-VA) in April 2026 and in the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2025 by Reps. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) and August Pfluger (R-TX).

Clinical Trials Resources

Although cancer clinical trials are often opened in multiple locations, they are not available everywhere. This resource illustrates the geographic distribution of cancer incidence and clinical trial availability across all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

ACS CAN was joined by 128 other organizations in responding to an HHS request for information (RFI) related to the creation of a new safe harbor from the Anti-Kickback Statute related to clinical trial participation.

The Clinical Trial Modernization Act (H.R. 3521 / S. 4440) increases access to clinical trials by allowing clinical trial sponsors to provide financial support to patients for costs associated with their trial participation, including medical cost-sharing like copays, and non-medical expenses such as travel, parking, food and lodging.