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Clinical Cancer Research Trials
What are Clinical Cancer Research Trials?
Clinical cancer research trials are a way for medical experts and related industries to test new drugs or treatments within a controlled laboratory setting. They include:
- Prevention trials to find ways to reduce the disease from occurring
- Screening trials to determine if you have the disease
- Treatment trials to control or manage the disease
Who can participate in Clinical Cancer Research?
The factors allowing entry into a clinical cancer research trial are very carefully controlled. The researchers want to prevent any problems or unexplained factors from stopping the study. These factors include:
- Age
- Sex
- Type and stage of disease
- Medications
- Treatment history
A history and screening process is an important first step in the clinical trial process.
The Clinical Trial Screening
It is important to be comfortable with the trial, the research team and the plan for the trial. It is also important that you understand the risks of the trial as well as the potential benefits.
Questions you should ask at the screening include:
- What is the purpose of the trial?
- What are the factors they are looking for in subjects (or people who are in the trial)
- Why do they think this will work?
- What tests, medicine or treatments are planned?
- How will this affect my day to day life?
- How long will the trial last?
- Will I need to be in a hospital?
- Who will pay for the trial?
- Will I be paid for expenses?
- Who will be in charge of my care?
- What type of follow-up care is given?
The screening may be intense and the information given to you may be a lot to remember. You should consider bringing along a friend or relative, a voice recorder or a pad and pencil to record the details.
Where can I find a colon cancer clinical trial?
In some cases your doctor or medical caregiver may have information on new or current clinical cancer research trials.
The website clinicaltrials.gov has a searchable data base with over 70,000 trials listed by disease or condition, location and drug used. Search for the condition or location to find trials that are recruiting, or looking for new people.
Often times clinical cancer research trials offer good solutions for patients. But frequently, the research is too early or too far along for your condition. Consider also that the factors used at the screening may rule you out to participate, through no fault of your own.
Cancer impacts more than 24 million people worldwide. You are not alone; there are a lot of options for your care. If the clinical trial is not the answer, talk to your doctor about other options.
Related pages:
- Colon Cancer Research - A description of colon cancer research and the research process.
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- FDA Drug Approval Process - The FDA approval process is responsible for determining whether or not a drug can be marketed to the general public, and determines its safety. The process takes up to eight years and the application alone can be up to...
- Clinical Trials for Cancer - Clinical trials for cancer are used to test new surgical technique, drugs, and radiation treatments. A colon cancer clinical trial might be the right choice if you feel that the current treatment options aren't likely to help you. Some people are afraid that if they participate in a clinical cancer trial, they will...
- Kids With Cancer - Teenagers, as a group, have not benefited from the huge advances in survival made by younger children. They are far less likely to participate in clinical trials. Also, teenagers seem to develop a different set of cancer than older adults. The most common are...
