ETCTN: NCI's Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network
The Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network conducts early phase clinical trials of innovative cancer therapies using a coordinated team-based approach.
About the ETCTN
Contact Us
Have a question about the ETCTN? Reach out to the ETCTN Program Email Box.
Since the early 1970s, NCI's Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) in the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD) has managed an early phase experimental therapeutics program that has contributed to the clinical development of anticancer agents. Through the years, NCI has formed partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and individual investigators to evaluate innovative cancer therapies and in 2014, the ETCTN was created to enhance more rapid evaluation of these therapies using a coordinated, collaborative, and inclusive team-based approach to early phase experimental clinical trials and biomarker/pharmacodynamic assessment.
The major focus of the ETCTN is on the science of clinical trial design to provide dose optimization for drug development of new cancer treatments using a team-science approach and with outreach to representative patient populations for clinical trial participation. Learn more about the ETCTN organization and supporting infrastructure.
ETCTN trials focus on drug development within adults. Adolescents may be included in some ETCTN trials, but pediatric-focused studies are not the primary scope of the ETCTN. NCI conducts pediatric-focused early phase clinical trials through other networks such as the Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trials Network.
ETCTN Objectives
The objectives of the ETCTN are to:
- Conduct early phase experimental therapeutic clinical trials of DCTD/CTEP-IND agents and agent combinations in high priority areas of unmet medical needs;
- Ensure efficient and timely activation and conduct of ETCTN clinical trials;
- Integrate molecular characterization, pharmacology, and cancer biology into ETCTN trials;
- Integrate preclinical findings into trials using collection and analysis of patient biospecimens for biomarker analysis;
- Promote collaboration among ETCTN institutions and investigators across the network; and
- Provide mentorship for investigators in the early stage of their clinical research careers.
ETCTN Trials Portfolios by Disease or Trial Type
View PDFs showing the latest portfolio of CTEP-supported cancer clinical trials open or upcoming in the ETCTN (updated monthly). For full functionality, download and open files with a pdf reader.
Trials by Cancer Type
Trials in Solid Tumors
ETCTN Guidelines and Policies
The ETCTN Guidelines Document describes the goals and expectations for ETCTN applicants, investigators, reviewers, and NIH support staff involved in the Network's conduct.
In addition to the Program Guidelines, the ETCTN's work is guided by:
- Relevant CTEP Documents and Memos, the ETCTN Monitoring Guidelines, and the CTEP Investigator's Handbook
- Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the current ETCTN Project Period
- ETCTN Lead Academic Organizations: RFA-CA-19-007 (UM1)
- ETCTN PK Resource Laboratories: RFA-CA-19-008 (U24)
- Special terms of award included in ETCTN grantee Notices of Award documents
These are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable government guidelines, regulations, and grant policies.
Resources for ETCTN Sites
- View CTEP resources for the ETCTN and other NCI-supported clinical trials networks.
- ETCTN Monitoring Guidelines (PDF)
- ETCTN Publication Policy (PDF)
- ETCTN Interventional Radiology Image-Guided Biopsy SOP (PDF)