What Information Do You Need for a Clinical Trial Search?
A guide to writing effective patient descriptions for trial matching
The Blank Text Box Problem
You've decided to explore clinical trials. You open a trial matching tool and see a text box: "Describe your condition."
What do you write?
If you're like most people, you freeze. You know your diagnosis, maybe your stage. But what else matters? What makes the difference between finding 3 relevant trials and finding 30?
This guide breaks down exactly what information helps—and what you can skip.
The Quick Summary
Essential (include if you know)
- Cancer/disease type and subtype
- Stage or extent of disease
- Prior treatments (what you've already tried)
- Key biomarkers or genetic mutations
- Age and general health status
Helpful but optional
- Specific dates of diagnosis/treatment
- Exact drug names and dosages
- Lab values (if relevant to your condition)
Not needed
- Personal identifying information (name, address)
- Insurance details
- Family history (unless relevant to a hereditary condition)
Why Each Piece Matters
1. Cancer/Disease Type and Subtype
"Lung cancer" finds different trials than "non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) adenocarcinoma."
Clinical trials are designed for specific subtypes. The more precise you can be, the better the match.
- Instead of "breast cancer" → "triple-negative breast cancer" or "HER2-positive breast cancer"
- Instead of "lymphoma" → "diffuse large B-cell lymphoma" or "follicular lymphoma"
- Instead of "brain tumor" → "glioblastoma" or "grade 2 astrocytoma"
Don't know your exact subtype? That's okay—include what you do know, and mention you're unsure.
2. Stage or Extent of Disease
Trials often have specific stage requirements:
- Early-stage trials may focus on newly diagnosed patients
- Advanced/metastatic trials target patients whose cancer has spread
- Recurrent disease trials are for cancer that came back after treatment
What to include:
- Stage (I, II, III, IV)
- Whether it's localized or metastatic
- Sites of metastasis if applicable (liver, bone, brain, etc.)
3. Prior Treatments
This is often the most important factor for eligibility.
Many trials require:
- "Treatment-naive" (no prior therapy)
- "At least one prior line of therapy"
- "Failed standard treatment"
- Specific prior drugs (e.g., "must have received platinum-based chemotherapy")
What to include:
- Surgery (when, what type)
- Radiation (when, where)
- Chemotherapy drugs (names if you remember them)
- Immunotherapy (e.g., Keytruda, Opdivo)
- Targeted therapy (e.g., Tarceva, Tagrisso)
- How you responded (worked initially then progressed, didn't respond, etc.)
Don't remember exact drug names? Describe what you can: "I had chemo in 2023 but it stopped working after 6 months."
4. Biomarkers and Mutations
Modern oncology trials increasingly target specific genetic profiles.
- Lung cancer: EGFR, ALK, ROS1, KRAS G12C, PD-L1 expression
- Breast cancer: HER2, ER/PR status, BRCA1/2
- Colorectal cancer: KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, MSI/MMR status
- Melanoma: BRAF V600
If you've had tumor genetic testing (NGS, Foundation Medicine, Guardant, etc.), include the key findings.
Don't have biomarker testing? Mention that—some trials are specifically for patients without known mutations.
5. Age and General Health
Trials have age limits (often 18+, sometimes upper limits).
More importantly, they assess "performance status"—how well you can carry out daily activities:
- Can you work and do normal activities?
- Are you up and about more than 50% of waking hours?
- Do you need help with self-care?
What to include:
- Age
- General health status ("active and working" vs "need some help with daily activities")
- Major other health conditions (heart disease, diabetes, kidney problems)
Example: A Complete Description
Here's what a thorough clinical trial search description looks like:
58-year-old male with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer, adenocarcinoma subtype. EGFR mutation negative, ALK negative, PD-L1 expression 80%. Initially treated with carboplatin/pemetrexed plus pembrolizumab with partial response for 14 months, then progressed with new liver metastases in January 2026. Currently on docetaxel as second-line but disease progressing. ECOG performance status 1 (able to do light work). No significant other health conditions.
This description hits all the key points:
- Specific cancer type and subtype
- Stage and sites of spread
- Biomarker status
- Complete treatment history with responses
- Current status
- Performance status
What If You Don't Have All This Information?
Include what you know. A partial description is better than none.
If you write:
Breast cancer, had mastectomy and chemo last year, now it came back in my bones
That's enough to find relevant trials for metastatic breast cancer with prior treatment. The matching system will work with what you provide.
What NOT to Include
- Personal details: Name, address, phone number, email (not needed for matching)
- Insurance information: Trials don't match based on insurance
- Requests or questions: "Can you help me find a trial?"—just describe your situation
Ready to Search?
Now that you know what information helps, you're ready to find clinical trials matched to your specific situation.
Enter your description and get evidence-informed trial recommendations.
Questions? Contact us