1. What are clinical trials?

Clinical trials are research studies that involve people who participate voluntarily. Each study tries to answer specific scientific questions and find better ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat cancer.

2. Why are cancer clinical trials important?

Cancer clinical trials contribute to medical knowledge and progress against cancer, thus improving patient care. Clinical trials are the only way new cancer treatments can be tested for success and safety before being made available to the public. The standard cancer treatments used today are based on previous clinical trial results.

3. What are the types of cancer clinical trials?

There are four different types of cancer clinical trials, which include:

• Treatment trials, which test new drugs, medical procedures, or combinations of treatments
• Prevention trials, which look for better ways to prevent diseases by either doing something (called action studies) like making lifestyle changes, or taking something (called agent studies) such as medicines, vitamins, or minerals
• Screening trials, which look for new ways to test for the presence of a disease or health condition early, when it may be more easily treated
• Quality of life trials, which explore ways to improve comfort and quality of life for cancer patients

4. Why consider a clinical trial for your cancer treatment?

Those who do decide to participate can experience benefits, which may include:  

• Access to a cancer treatment that isn’t yet publicly available
• Free or low-cost treatment for the duration of the study
• Contributing to cancer research that may provide life-saving treatment to future cancer patients
• A more active role in your own healthcare
• Close monitoring from some of the best cancer doctors

5. What are some of the possible risks of participating in clinical trials?

Some possible risks that patients may face could include:

• Participants in randomized studies will not be able to choose the treatment approach they receive
• Health insurance and managed care providers may not cover all patient care costs in a study, in which case the patient would be responsible for those costs
• Therapies under study are not always better than the standard care
• New treatments may have unknown side effects or risks

Since risks vary in each individual situation, it’s important to talk with your oncologist to understand the specific risks related to any clinical trial that you may be considering participation in.

Sources:

• https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials/paying
• https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/about-studies/learn#Participating
• https://www.nih.gov/health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/basics
• https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials/taking-part