The American Cancer Society has recently launched a new service to help patients find treatment options that match their specific type of cancer.

The clinical trial service was started over three months ago and is only available in the Northeast. The plan is to make it a national service by the end of this year.

"Sometimes the patient is overwhelmed. ACS ACTS is a one-stop program [that explores] all the innovative clinical trial options available for oncology treatments," says Dr. Shanthi Sivendran, a medical oncologist.

Patients who use the website or dial its helpline will be connected to trained specialists who will provide information on clinical trials.

"If you live in Pennsylvania and you're interested in a trial in Connecticut, the doctor in Pennsylvania may not know there is that trial available. Through the program, you'll be able to get that match. You'll get that info and take it back to your medical team. Your health care team is really a critical component of all this," she says.

For patients who are struggling financially or face other obstacles pertaining to cancer, the specialists are also trained to connect them with resources.

"You, as a patient, can decide what is important to you. So if you say 'I need to stay within 30 miles of where I live,' we can narrow the search to that. At the end of the day, you as the patient are in the driver's seat," says Sivendran.

Sivendran says the ACS has already seen a demand for the service.