Providing Cancer Clinical Trials for Medicare Beneficiaries Less than three percent of cancer patients participate in clinical trials of new therapies. Many scientists believe that higher participation could lead to the faster development of therapies for more of those in need. Moreover, the elderly, who are most likely to get cancer, often cannot participate in such trials because Medicare does not pay for such treatments until they are established as standard therapies. Americans over 65 make up half of all cancer patients, and are 10 ....