Participating in a Clinical Trial
Enrolling in a clinical trial may be a helpful cancer treatment option for you, but there is a lot to consider. Read on to find out more about the risks and benefits of clinical trials and what you should consider when deciding whether to participate in one.
Not a real patient or caregiver
Should I take part in a clinical trial?
If you are interested in joining a clinical trial, you can start by talking about it with your doctor. They can help you determine whether a clinical trial is a good option for you and answer any questions you may have. If you want to know more about how clinical trials work, check out our Cancer and Clinical Trials article.
Here are some questions you may want to think about:
- Why do you want to take part in a clinical trial?
- What do you expect if you decide to take part? How realistic are your expectations?
- Do you have all the information you need to make an informed decision?
- Have you considered the risks versus the benefits?
- Have you thought about other factors, such as travel, time, and money?
- Do you have a caregiver that can help support you throughout the clinical trial journey?
- Have you looked into all cancer treatment options?
Once you have some answers to the initial questions, you can move on to thinking more logistically about the clinical study. Here are four key areas to focus on:
- Trial objective
What is the main purpose of the trial? Curing cancer or slowing its growth or spread? Alleviating the severity of cancer symptoms or the side effects of cancer treatment? Testing whether a new cancer treatment is well-tolerated? Make sure the trial objective matches your treatment goals.
- Eligibility criteria
Does your cancer diagnosis and current state of health align with the eligibility criteria for the clinical trial? Look into what kind of patient volunteer they are seeking to ensure you won’t be excluded from the study.
- Trial location
Is the location of the trial manageable for you? Consider how often you will need to receive treatment during the trial and how far and how often you are willing to travel.
- Study length
How long is the clinical study? If you can find this information, consider the time involved and whether it will work for you and your family.
If you are newly diagnosed with cancer, it may be best to talk to your doctor about joining a trial before you start cancer treatment.
How do I find a clinical trial?
You can start by asking your doctor. However, not every doctor knows about every clinical study, so you may have to do some research on your own. There are many cancer clinical trials currently in progress that are sponsored by various organizations. Some trials are funded by the US government and other nonprofit organizations. Hospitals and academic medical centers also sponsor trials, and other studies are sponsored by drug companies that may have a new cancer treatment to test. Due to the various organizations that conduct and fund studies, there is not one central place to find a clinical study.
After talking to your doctor about whether you should take part in a clinical trial, you can start your research by looking at some of the resources listed below:
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
NCI provides an online search tool for cancer clinical trials. You can also ask for help by calling 1‑800‑4‑CANCER (1‑800‑422‑6237).
Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP)
CISCRP also provides a clinical study search tool. You can also get help by calling 1‑877‑MED‑HERO (1‑877‑633‑4376).
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH has a complete database of all clinical trials, but not all studies listed are cancer clinical trials.
Cancer.Net is an advocacy group that can help you find a clinical trial.
In addition to these resources, many private pharmaceutical companies conduct clinical research studies. Visit their website to see what clinical trials they may be sponsoring.
What are the benefits of participating in a clinical trial?
Each clinical trial has its own benefits and risks. Here are some of the benefits to expect:
- Access to a new cancer treatment that is not available to people who are not enrolled in the trial
- Receive medical attention and be monitored by the research team
- The trial may help doctors learn more about cancer and help develop more cancer treatment options in the future
Possible risks of participating in a clinical trial include:
- The new cancer treatment may not be better than the standard treatment
- There may be side effects or complications that require medical attention
- You may have to give more of your time and attention than if you were receiving standard cancer treatment. You may need extra tests, visits to the study site, complex dosing schedules, or long hospital stays
- Even if a new cancer treatment has benefits for some people in the study, it may not work for you
- Health insurance may not cover all patient care costs in a trial
Before you agree to take part in a clinical trial, you can learn about the risks and benefits and how you and your rights are protected. Before deciding to participate, talk with your caregiver and doctor about the trials you are interested in, and carefully consider all the aspects of participation.