# Find trials worth asking about

Build a short list with the trial ID, the actual site, and the eligibility questions that matter.

![Article illustration](https://kevinwimer.com/media/e2c29ae1-3219-42b5-bd0e-09f305f93391)

Author: Kevin Wimer
Canonical URL: https://kevinwimer.com/resources/clinical-trials/
Stable ID: bcbf518f-872e-434c-b031-3d6c266ceaa4
Revision: c24132fd-2aed-4977-8737-8e4d57bc8a26
Published: 2026-10-23T00:00:15.301Z
Updated: 2026-10-23T00:00:15.301Z
Reviewed: 2026-10-22

## Who this is for
For patients and caregivers preparing questions with their cancer care team.

## 1. Start with your details

Have the exact diagnosis, stage, biomarkers, treatment history and travel limits in front of you. Use the reports rather than guessing a mutation name.

On [ClinicalTrials.gov](https://clinicaltrials.gov/), try:

1. **Condition:** your specific cancer, such as non-small cell lung cancer.
2. **Other terms:** your biomarker or a treatment you are investigating, such as ALK.
3. **Location:** the area you can travel to. Expand it if the results are too narrow.

Start with recruiting studies. If you filter by phase, remember that earlier and later phases answer different questions; a later phase is not automatically a better choice. For a broader search, remove the phase filter.

The [NCI trial search guide](https://www.cancer.gov/research/participate/clinical-trials-search/steps) is another starting point. No one directory contains every possible option.

## 2. Read eligibility before the exciting description

Check these first:

1. Cancer type, biomarker and stage.
2. Required or excluded prior treatments and washout periods.
3. Rules about brain metastases, other conditions and general fitness.
4. Required tissue or test results.
5. The individual site’s recruiting status, visits and travel burden.

Do not rule yourself in or out based on one sentence or an AI summary. Mark unclear points for the coordinator.

## 3. Keep one useful row per trial

| Field | What to save |
| --- | --- |
| Trial ID | The NCT number and direct study link |
| Why it might fit | The relevant diagnosis or biomarker |
| Open questions | Exact eligibility language you need clarified |
| Site | City, recruiting status and named contact |
| Last checked | Date and what changed |
| Next action | Who will call, and when |

## 4. Contact the actual trial team

Ask: **“Is this site enrolling now, and who can review my records for eligibility?”** Have the coordinator check the criteria with your oncologist. Ask about slots, screening, visit frequency and expenses that are not covered.

Do not stop or change treatment to qualify without your treating team’s plan.

## 5. Watch the trials you already found

I use AI to find new studies and updates to studies I am watching. A newly added location can matter more than another long list of unrelated trials.

Have the tool return the NCT ID, direct source, checked date and exact change. Verify the record yourself. [Here is a practical AI workflow.](/resources/ai-cancer-research/)

[FCCT](/companies/fcct/) offers research support. [Jiyu](/companies/jiyu-bio/) focuses on trials in China and travel coordination; international access needs additional clinical and logistical planning.

## Limits and context
Search results are leads, not eligibility determinations. Registry information and available slots can change. The trial team and your treating clinicians must assess enrollment and treatment timing.

## Relationships and disclosures
No paid placement. I have no investment, advisory role, paid partnership or other financial relationship with the twelve companies in this initial directory.

## Sources
- [Steps to find a clinical trial](https://www.cancer.gov/research/participate/clinical-trials-search/steps) — National Cancer Institute; official; checked 2026-10-22; Search, eligibility, site contacts and shared decisions with the care team.
- [How I use AI to track trials](https://x.com/kevinace/status/2111471078434295973) — Kevin Wimer on X; experience; checked 2026-10-22; Personal experience, read in Kevin’s supplied X export. Not independent clinical evidence.
- [Track updates as well as new trials](https://x.com/kevinace/status/2112890221289427076) — Kevin Wimer on X; experience; checked 2026-10-22; Personal experience, read in Kevin’s supplied X export. Not independent clinical evidence.

Topics: clinical-trials
Capabilities: 

Related record IDs: 0c5f1f8b-4545-4ee0-9c05-ce1d7fb984d7, 43c15981-aba0-4025-aaa1-b71a755cfe84, 9f20f130-cad1-494e-bf40-bd02d30f01cd, 37f8559b-848c-41bc-9591-06013c785a00

Related X discussion: https://x.com/kevinace/status/2111471078434295973

Related X post: https://x.com/kevinace/status/2113021246652756401

Follow Kevin on X: https://x.com/kevinace

Educational information, not an individualized treatment recommendation.