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Clinical Trials Centre

CLINICAL TRIALS
CENTRE

The Clinical Trials Centre of the 4th Oncology Clinic supports our patients’ participation in clinical trials, that is, in organised research protocols that evaluate new treatments or new combinations of treatments, under strict rules of safety and scientific monitoring.

What a clinical trial is

In brief

A research protocol that tests whether a new treatment is safe and more effective than the established one. Every trial is approved by the National Organization for Medicines and the National Ethics Committee before it starts.

What is guaranteed for you

  • Detailed information and written consent before every step
  • The right to withdraw at any time, with no effect on your care
  • Closer monitoring by the research team
  • The established treatment remains available whether you take part or not

The phases of clinical trials and what they mean for you

Every new treatment passes through successive stages before it reaches everyday practice. The phase shown next to each study tells you how far the treatment has come, how many patients take part and which question the study answers. In the list below, every phase tag leads back to this guide.

Before Phase 1, preclinical researchThe treatment is studied in the laboratory and in experimental models. No patients take part.For you. Nothing yet. The studies listed here have already passed this stage.
Phase 1, is it safe and at what doseFirst administration in humans, or the first combination of known drugs. 20 to 80 patients take part, usually with disease that no longer responds to established treatments. The dose is raised step by step and side effects are recorded.For you. Very close monitoring with frequent visits and tests. The treatment is at an early stage of research, the benefit is not known and the side effects have not yet been fully recorded.
Phase 2, does it work in this cancerThe treatment is given to 100 to 300 patients with a specific type and stage of cancer, at the dose set in Phase 1. The study measures how many patients respond and for how long, and safety monitoring continues.For you. The treatment has already been tested in humans and the dose is known. Some studies allocate patients at random between two arms.
Phase 3, is it better than the established treatmentHundreds to thousands of patients in many centres worldwide. Participants are allocated at random to the new treatment or to the best available established one, and survival, disease control and quality of life are compared. The results lead to the drug's approval.For you. You receive either the new treatment or the established one, never anything less than that. Most of our Clinic's studies belong to this phase.
Phase 4, how it performs in everyday practiceAfter approval and market launch. Thousands of patients are followed for long-term safety, rare side effects and effectiveness in real-world conditions.For you. You receive an approved drug, as you would outside the study, with more systematic recording of your course.
Observational studiesNo new treatment is tested. Data are collected from the treatment you already receive, often with biological samples, to understand the disease and the response to treatments better.For you. Your treatment does not change. You contribute knowledge with minimal extra burden, usually a consent form and a few additional tests.
Randomisation and placebo

When an established treatment exists, no participant is deprived of it. When a study includes a placebo, it is added to the established treatment and never replaces it. Allocation to the arms is done by computer so that the comparison is fair, and in several studies neither the doctor nor the patient knows the arm (a blinded study). Phases 1/2 and 2/3 combine two stages in one protocol so that the treatment reaches patients sooner.

How to read the tags in the list

  • Recruiting registry status «Recruiting», enrolment is decided by the investigator on the criteria of the protocol
  • Ongoing, closed to new participants patients have been enrolled and are being followed, no new enrolments
  • Completed follow-up has ended, the results are being published or have been published
  • Registry status not updated the sponsor has not updated the record, ask us about the current status
  • Randomised participants are allocated at random to the arms of the study
  • Multicentre the study runs at many hospitals at the same time, often in many countries

How to take part

How to take part in a clinical trial

  1. Information

    Your doctor explains what the trial is, what it offers and what it involves, and answers every question.

  2. Consent

    You take part only if you choose to, with written consent, and you can withdraw at any time.

  3. Eligibility screening

    Tests that confirm the trial suits your particular case.

  4. Treatment and follow-up

    Close monitoring by the clinical trials coordinator and the medical team.

Our studies

The studies of the 4th Oncology Clinic registered in the international ClinicalTrials.gov registry, with Dr Helena Linardou as principal investigator, site investigator or co-author of the results, and the publications that came out of them. Pick a condition to see only what concerns you.

Source ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed, updated 9 September 2026. 21 registered studies, 8 recruiting, and 34 publications reporting clinical-trial results with Dr Linardou among the authors. Titles are given as registered. Each link opens the registry record or the publication. The list reproduces public registry records and is not an invitation to take part. The sponsor funding each study is shown in its record.

Ongoing studies (9)

Completed and earlier studies (12)

Published clinical-trial results (34)

Papers with Dr Linardou among the authors that report clinical-trial results, from PubMed. Most recent first.

The Centre’s team

The Clinic’s Director, Dr Helena Linardou, is an active member of research groups with a strong presence in clinical and translational research, such as the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG), and through them the Clinic takes part in large international collaborative trials.

Dr Helena LinardouDirector of the Clinic, principal investigator. Profile.
Kanella-Maria GkiatiGeneral management of the Centre, with 20 years of experience coordinating Greek and international trials. Profile.
Eleftherios LoukopoulosSpecialised clinical trials coordinator, the patient's everyday link to the protocol.

Is there a trial for my case

Speak to your treating physician or contact us. The team checks whether any of the active trials suits your disease, its stage and the treatment you have received, and informs you in detail about the benefits and the limitations. The team’s research work is recorded in the Clinic’s publications.

See also

Clinical Trials Centre

Book an appointment

Appointments: 210 48 09 150, 210 48 09 160
Daily 08:00 to 16:00
oncology.clinic4@gmail.com

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