--- title: "Test Your Clinical Trial Knowledge This Trials Day | Sutter Health" description: "From scurvy-curing citrus to Sutter's TAVR and ALS trials, learn how clinical research keeps advancing treatments for cancer, stroke and more." url: "https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/test-your-clinical-trial-knowledge" --- 1. [Home](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research & innovation](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation) / 3. Test Your Clinical Trial Knowledge # Test Your Clinical Trial Knowledge From scurvy-curing citrus to Sutter's TAVR and ALS trials, learn how clinical research keeps advancing treatments for cancer, stroke and more. May 18, 2023 by Karin Fleming ![Test Your Clinical Trial Knowledge](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/research-and-innovation/Graphic-illustration-depicting-elements-of-medicine-including-providers-vials-syringes-book-16f4968f.jpg?h=1381&iar=0&w=2170 "Test Your Clinical Trial Knowledge") In the mid-1700s, Scottish physician-researcher Dr. James Lind encouraged a group of sailors to join an experiment in which they ate oranges and lemons.  Turns out the vitamin C-rich fruit helped prevent the onset of scurvy—an illness caused by severe vitamin C deficiency. The regimen also became part of the world’s first clinical trial. Centuries later, the clinical trial continues to advance medical knowledge for the treatment and prevention a range of health concerns that impact people around the world.  In recognition of International Clinical Trials Day on May 20, Vitals editors help provide a primer on these invaluable research studies. **What is a clinical trial? **Clinical trials involve groups of individuals in studies of novel or existing drugs, surgical procedures, devices and new ways to improve quality of life. They help researchers and doctors understand the safety and effectiveness of various treatments. They can also help create new solutions to prevent, detect and treat complex, common or rare illnesses. **Why do they matter? **Findings from clinical trials may lead to medical breakthroughs. These studies offer hope to individuals who participate, and to those yet to be diagnosed with illnesses like cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and more. “Recognizing May 20 as International Clinical Trials Day, I’m proud of the research and clinical trials across Sutter Health that help advance tomorrow’s best medicines in service to our patients and communities,” says Dr. Christopher Woods, chief medical director of clinical trials at Sutter Health, a not-for-profit network in Northern California. Dr. Woods cites these examples of how clinical trials across Sutter Health are ushering in new treatments for complex illnesses: - A new, CLIA-certified diagnostic test for early detection of several cancers (i.e., the [PATHFINDER study](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/new-study-may-lead-to-earlier-detection-of-many-cancers/) of Galleri™). - New science to advance equitable, evidence-based [HIV prevention](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/clinic-offers-improved-access-to-hiv-aids-research-studies/) through a large-scale, international, Phase 3 clinical trial (HPTN-083) of cabotegravir—the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug for long-acting HIV prevention. - A new gold standard for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) treatment for aortic stenosis, shown in the international [PARTNER 3 clinical trial](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1814052) to be superior to open-heart surgery. - U.S. FDA approval of widely used osteoporosis medications, and [San Francisco-Coordinating Center-led studies](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/cpmcri/sequoia-center-for-the-science-of-aging) that first established the value of bone density and risk factors for hip fractures widely used in clinical practice. - U.S. FDA approval of a new treatment for a rare form of ALS, tested at Sutter’s CPMC and made possible by findings from the [VALOR clinical trial](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/als-clinical-trial-als-clinical-trial-leads-to-u-s-fda-approval-of-new-therapy/) of tofersen. **If I’m interested in participating in a clinical trial, where can I find more information? **Ask your doctor if a clinical trial is right for you. Sutter offers clinical trials potentially suitable for individuals with a wide range of health concerns. Find a list of enrolling studies [available at Sutter Health](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/clinical-trials). ## Topics [Cancer](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/search?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Cancer%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=articles)[Heart Disease](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/search?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Heart+Disease%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=articles) ## Related articles ### [The Next Big Ideas in Patient Care Start Here](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/the-next-big-ideas-in-patient-care-start-here) ### [Where Data Meets Care: Advancing Medicine Through Research](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/where-data-meets-care-advancing-medicine-through-research) ### [Personalized vaccine targets melanoma recurrence?](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/personalized-vaccine-targets-melanoma-recurrence) ### [Treating prostate cancer while preserving what matters most](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/treating-prostate-cancer-while-preserving-what-matters-most) [See all from Research & innovation](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation) ## Check your Vitals Get the latest in health innovation, community impact and patient care from Sutter Health — delivered straight to your inbox. 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