What are Clinical Trials?
After a patient meets with the physician team and the stage of disease is established, a treatment recommendation is offered which may include the patients’ chance to participate in a clinical trial. Clinical trials or research studies use patient volunteers to help investigate different ways to treat disease like cancer. Each study tries to answer specific scientific questions about different ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. A patient should consult their physician to find out whether there is a clinical trial available for his/her situation. Your doctor will be able to run tests to determine if you are eligible to participate in a trial if one is available for your type of cancer.
It is important to know that few patients participate in clinical trials in the United States and there is a strong interest to encourage eligible patients to participate in good research so that we can have answers to new questions in cancer management available sooner. We need patients who are newly diagnosed to consider participating in these special programs as this is a great way to make contributions to science while at the same time having an opportunity to get great medical care.
It is important to know that few patients participate in clinical trials in the United States and there is a strong interest to encourage eligible patients to participate in good research so that we can have answers to new questions in cancer management available sooner. We need patients who are newly diagnosed to consider participating in these special programs as this is a great way to make contributions to science while at the same time having an opportunity to get great medical care.