The benefits of participation in clinical trials

This editorial marks a change of editors for the trials section. It is intended to encourage surgeons to participate in clinical trials work. The recruitment of patients into clinical trials with strict protocols and quality control may be expected to lead to better outcomes. Well-conducted trials may also add to our understanding of tumour biology and the role of prognostic markers, and may lead to the standardization of definitions and medical terminology. This will help us to overcome uncertainties in current treatment protocols.