The short answer
Basket and umbrella trials are newer designs based on tumor genetics. A basket trial tests one treatment across many cancer types with a shared mutation; an umbrella trial tests several treatments within one cancer type.
These designs match treatments to genetic changes in tumors.
A basket trial tests one treatment across many cancers sharing a mutation.
An umbrella trial tests several treatments within one cancer type.
Both rely on genetic testing of the tumor.
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This page is for people with cancer who are hearing about clinical trials built around tumor genetics. It explains basket and umbrella trials and how to look for one.
The simple version
Basket trials and umbrella trials are newer ways to run a cancer trial. Both group patients by the genetic makeup of their tumor. They do not group patients only by which organ the cancer started in. NCI says some studies enroll people based on the biomarkers in their cancer, instead of where in the body the cancer started growing. These are sometimes called basket trials.
What a basket trial does
A basket trial tests one treatment across many cancer types. The one requirement: the tumors share a specific genetic change. For example, a basket trial might test a drug in lung, colon, and thyroid cancer patients together. This works if all their tumors carry the same mutation. Whether a drug works in each cancer type is what the trial is designed to find out.
What an umbrella trial does
An umbrella trial works the other way. It focuses on one cancer type, like lung cancer. Within that one type, it tests several treatments at once. Each patient's treatment is matched to their own tumor's genetics. Under one umbrella study, a patient with one mutation gets one drug. Another patient, with the same cancer type but a different mutation, gets a different drug.
Why this approach matters
These designs let researchers study treatments matched to the genetic features of a tumor, either across several cancer types (basket) or within one type (umbrella). These are research studies, so it is not yet known whether the treatment being tested will help.
What this means for you
Your tumor may have been tested for specific gene changes. NCI says biomarker testing results can help match you with clinical trials you may be eligible to join. NCI-MATCH and NCI-COG Pediatric MATCH are examples. Ask your oncologist whether biomarker testing makes sense for you.
These trials can feel confusing at first
It can feel strange to hear that your lung cancer trial also includes people with colon cancer or thyroid cancer. This is not a mix-up. In a basket trial, people are enrolled by the biomarkers in their cancer rather than by where it started.
How to find a basket or umbrella trial
Ask your oncologist directly whether your specific mutation matches an open basket or umbrella trial. NCI offers a Find Clinical Trials tool at cancer.gov. You can also request a free clinical trial search from a cancer information specialist at 1-800-4-CANCER, by chat at livehelp.cancer.gov, or by email at NCIinfo@nih.gov.
Not every cancer type has one yet
A basket or umbrella trial may not be open for your tumor's genetic change or cancer type. If none is currently open for your specific case, ask whether one is expected to open soon, and whether a more traditional trial or standard treatment makes sense for you in the meantime.
What to ask your doctor
- Has my tumor been tested for biomarkers or gene mutations?
- Is there a basket or umbrella trial for my tumor's specific mutation, even outside my usual cancer type?
- How would a matched trial like this differ from my standard treatment?
Sources
Common questions
What is a basket trial?
A basket trial tests a single treatment in people who have different types of cancer that all share the same genetic change, based on the idea that the mutation matters more than the organ.
What is an umbrella trial?
An umbrella trial studies people with one type of cancer and assigns different treatments depending on the specific genetic change found in each person's tumor.
How do I know if I qualify?
These trials depend on genetic testing of your tumor. Your oncologist can order or review that testing and check whether a matching trial is open.
Why were these designs created?
They let researchers study treatments matched to the genetic features of a tumor, which fits the field of precision oncology.
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Written by: Cancer ExplainedSources last checked: 2026-07-14 what this meansLast updated: 2026-10-16Next planned review: 2027-01-21
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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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