Clinical Trials FAQ
What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials are research studies involving human volunteers to answer health care questions. These questions may involve many different aspects of patient care, medication effectiveness and disease outcome. Carefully conducted clinical trials are the best and safest way to find new effective treatments and to improve health care (link to types of clinical trials).
Who can participate in clinical trials?
Each clinical trial will outline the patient characteristics that are appropriate for the trial. These are termed inclusion/ exclusion criterias. Talk to your health care professional regarding your eligibility.
Do I have to participate in clinical trials?
No. Participation in clinical trials is completely voluntary. Informed consent is necessary prior to enrollment in any clinical trial. The informed consent is not a contract and patients may choose to withdraw from the trial at any time.
Why participate in clinical trials?
Patients involving in clinical trials can take a proactive part in their treatment decision making. Clinical trials may also offer the most advanced treatments available. More importantly, it is through well-designed clinical trials that advances in medicine are made. Many cancer patients regard participation in clinical trials as their contribution to future cancer care.
What happens during a clinical trial?
Before enrolling on a clinical trial, each patient will meet with our clinical trial nurses to discuss the trial in detail. After informed consent is obtained and enrollment is completed, patients will follow the treatment schedule as outlined by the trial. During this time, patients will work closely with our entire staff to ensure that the experience is optimized.