Taking part in a cancer clinical trial is a very personal choice, but it can offer important benefits—for you now, and for others in the future.
Every breakthrough in cancer care came from people who joined clinical trials before. By taking part, you are not only giving yourself another treatment opportunity, but you are also helping researchers find better, safer treatments for the next generation of patients.
Whether you decide to take part or not, you will receive the best treatment available for your condition.
Why it may help you
- Access to new treatments – trials often test the latest medicines, therapies, or combinations that aren’t yet widely available. You might be able to try something more advanced than the current standard care.
- Extra monitoring and follow up – people in clinical trials usually have extra appointments, more tests and added support.
- A treatment option when others are no longer available – for some people, a clinical trial may offer hope when standard treatments are no longer working.
Things to think about
- Eligibility – all clinical trials have defined patient requirements, specific to each trial. They may need patients to have a specific genetic makeup or specific stage of disease. Not everyone will be eligible to take part.
- Unknowns and side effects – because new treatments are being studied, there can be less certainty about how well they work or what side effects they might cause.
- Time and travel – some clinical trials require more visits to the hospital and more test which can affect your daily life.
- Not receiving the treatment being trialled – a clinical trial is often comparing the effectiveness of an existing treatment to a new treatment. Some patients get the new treatment and some patients do not. While you may not get the new treatment being trialled, you will still get the best treatment for your condition.
The importance of information
Clinical trials are a team effort and if you decide to take part, you become an essential member of the team. You must be given all the information you want, you must understand what will happen, and you must freely agree to take part.
Your doctor or researcher should discuss the following points with you:
- what type of trial it is, why it is being done and how it was planned
- an explanation of how the trial will affect you; for example, how long the trial will last or any extra tests or hospital visits
- the meaning of the words and phrases that are used
- the benefits, risks and all other treatment options available to you
- the safeguards which are there to protect you
- who you should contact if you have any concerns or problems
- how to find out the results of the research, if you want to do so
Please take your time to decide whether you want to participate or not. You may find it helpful to discuss the details of a trial with a research nurse if you have questions or don’t understand what has been said.
See what our patients say about taking part in research