Architect Dov Koren was 61 when chest pains began. For weeks he visited doctors who dismissed the issue as minor, perhaps a cracked rib. Only in the emergency room did the family receive the devastating news: metastatic lung cancer with no prior history of illness or heavy smoking.

His son Daniel, now a development manager at the high-tech firm Lemonade, never expected that caring for his father would spark a major social venture. In 2018 he stayed hopeful and fought hard for every option. Father and son consulted numerous specialists seeking extra opinions, soon learning that standard treatments would not suffice.

Daniel began scouring every available resource. A tip on a cancer forum led him to clinical trials. He searched online databases and found the main American registry run by the Department of Health that lists studies worldwide. He also checked the European database, which at the time lacked strong rules for listing trials. Israeli studies appear in these systems too.

A clinical trial tests new treatments in controlled stages for safety and results. Patients can receive cutting-edge therapies years ahead of approval, with expert monitoring and full cost coverage. All steps protect privacy and allow withdrawal without affecting regular care.

With help from their oncologist at Sheba Medical Center they found a local trial. Dov passed initial screenings and started treatment that worked well at first, granting extra quality months. When results faded they located another study at Meir Hospital that bought more time. Eventually options in Israel ran out and a trial in Boston seemed possible until the pandemic halted travel.

Trials paused and the family remained in Israel. Dov died three months later, two years and three months after diagnosis. The experimental treatments had extended his life and preserved dignity during that period.

Months after the funeral a friend asked Daniel to explain trial searches for a relative with brain cancer. Requests arrived every few weeks and Daniel spent hours manually reviewing records for each person. Over five years he assisted many families, some of whom later shared updates or sad news.

While on reserve duty a fellow soldier mentioned his mother's pancreatic cancer. Daniel helped search on his phone and realized a broader tool was needed. During a family hotel stay he built a simple prototype overnight that quickly gained traction.

TrialFinder launched as a free site that searches global databases and uses artificial intelligence to translate complex details into plain Hebrew and English. It also checks basic eligibility, offers guidance for doctor talks, and prepares formal inquiry letters while stressing it is not medical advice and protects user privacy without registration.

Within two weeks the site drew tens of thousands of visits and hundreds of direct inquiries. Small donations exceeded expectations and covered months of operating costs. Daniel keeps the service nonprofit to avoid any conflict of interest and hopes to partner with health providers for wider reach.

He notes that explaining trials can ease family tensions because participation is always optional and many modern studies use gentler drugs. Even a refusal remains valid; the goal is simply to give patients informed choices and support.