The short answer
Standard of care is treatment that doctors widely accept and use. In many trials, a new treatment is compared against standard of care rather than against nothing.
Standard of care is treatment doctors widely accept and use.
Many trials compare a new treatment to standard of care.
This means most participants receive at least the current best treatment.
Placebos are rarely used in cancer treatment trials.
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The whole article, with every detail and caution.
The simple version
Standard of care is the treatment that doctors widely accept and use for a specific cancer. In a clinical trial, standard of care is often the comparison treatment: the option researchers measure a new treatment against, to see if the new one is actually better.
Why trials compare against standard of care, not nothing
NCI says placebos, which are inactive treatments, are rarely used in cancer treatment trials. Most trials compare a new treatment with the already approved standard treatment. A placebo may be used when no standard treatment exists, or added to standard treatment.
What this means if you join a trial
If you join a trial with a standard-of-care comparison group, and you get randomly assigned to that group, you receive the approved standard treatment. Some people are disappointed not to get the newer option. Ask your team what each group receives.
Standard of care changes over time
In trials, researchers compare a new treatment with the standard to decide whether the new one should become the new standard of care. So what counts as standard can change over time.
How to find out what the standard of care is for you
Ask your oncologist directly what the standard of care is for your exact diagnosis, and how a trial option compares with it, including the pros and cons of each.
A real example of how this plays out
Picture a trial that adds a new drug on top of standard chemotherapy. It compares that against standard chemotherapy alone. Say you join, and get randomly assigned to the standard-of-care group. You still get the standard chemotherapy. Your results help show whether the new drug adds benefit.
When there is no clear standard of care
NCI notes that placebos may be used when no standard treatment exists for a cancer. Ask your oncologist whether a standard treatment exists for you, and whether trial options fit your case.
What to ask your doctor
- What is the current standard of care for my specific cancer?
- How does the trial's new treatment compare with that standard, based on results so far?
- What would I receive if I am randomized (assigned by chance) to the standard-of-care group?
- Would a second opinion help me understand my options?
Sources
Common questions
What does standard of care mean?
The FDA describes standard of care as treatment for a disease that is accepted and widely used by doctors.
Will I get standard of care in a trial?
Often, yes. Many cancer trials compare a new treatment against standard of care, so participants in the comparison group still receive the current best treatment.
Do trials use placebos instead?
NCI says placebos are rarely used in cancer treatment trials. One design adds a placebo to standard treatment and compares it with standard treatment plus the study drug.
Why compare to standard of care?
It shows whether a new treatment should become the new standard of care.
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Written by: Cancer ExplainedSources last checked: 2026-07-14 what this meansLast updated: 2026-10-02Next planned review: 2027-01-14
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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