Understanding clinical trial benefits for cancer: The FAQ's to help you decide

(Written by Sr. writer Jill Mckellan, www.Lazarex.com)

Some of the best research is done through clinical trials.  We are talking about the research that helps find cures, answers, and solutions to the most deadly diseases we know about – especially cancer.  The problem that clinical trials run into is that they are often not funded by insurance plans and some people have hesitation about going into the unknown when they are already experiencing such intense, frightening emotions; not to mention worrying about those they love.  The best way to decide if clinical trials are the right choice for you take some time to find out what their purpose is and what they are designed to do.

Question:  What are clinical trials?
Answer:  In its most basic sense, a clinical trial is a research study that involves people.  Clinical trials are formed to help discover advancements that improve the quality of a person’s life that has a disease or illness.

Question:  Why are clinical trials important?
Answer:  The studies conducted during clinical trials test ways to help in detection, prevention, and diagnosis or treatment of diseases.  The people who participate help in the knowledge process of scientists and finding a cure.  Many people find the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial as the best way to receive expert care from top professionals in their field.  This particularly holds true for cancer patients.

Question:  What are the different types of clinical trials for cancer patients?
Answer:  There are basically five different types of clinical trials that are available for cancer patients to participate in if they qualify.  Those options are:

• Treatment:  A treatment clinical trial focuses on taking existing medications and treatments and finding ways to improve them.  It also involves new medications and procedures that have the possibility to stop cancer from worsening.
• Prevention:  Prevention clinical trials usually involve healthy people who’ve never had cancer.  They look for those who may be at risk and discover life style changes that can be made to help prevent it.  In certain cases, they also use people who’ve been in remission with their cancer and try to find ways to stop the cancer from coming back.
• Screening:  Detecting cancer easier, earlier, and non-invasively is a huge factor in research for screening clinical trials.  These trials are done through finding new ways to evaluate family histories and other factors that indicate a person’s risk level when it comes to cancer.
• Diagnostic:  The diagnostic trials are focused on helping discover cancer more quickly and usually involve individuals who show signs of cancer already.
• Quality of Life (also known as Supportive Care):  These clinical trials focus on those who are currently suffering with cancer.  The goal is to find ways to make their treatments and their side effects less taxing on their daily lives. 

Question:  Who sponsors clinical trials for cancer?
Answer:  Clinical trials are sponsored by a wide group of organizations and businesses.  Some of them are government agencies and others are private sector.  Some of the most common sponsors for clinical trials are:  National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, physicians, academic medical centers, foundations, volunteer groups, pharmaceutical companies, and the biotechnology industry.

Question:  What are the criteria for being eligible for a cancer clinical trial?
Answer:  There are certain guidelines and standards that develop the means for clinical trials.  The best way to find out if you are eligible for any clinical trials is to mention your interest to your doctor or health care provider.  They can direct you to the resources to see if there is one out there that could possibly benefit you and that you are eligible for.

Question:  How do they ensure a person’s safety if they choose to participate in a clinical trial?
Answer:  Individuals who choose to participate in clinical trials are referred to as “human subjects”.  On a national and international level they are heavily monitored to ensure that all practices and procedures being done are ethical and solely for the purpose of the experiment.

Question:  How does a person find out all the specifics of a clinical trial so they can make an informed decision?
Answer:  The process of educating prospective clinical trial participants is called informed consent.  Informed consent consists of two parts.  The first is providing people information on what they are going to do and what they hope the results will find.  The second part is to continue updating participants on what is being founded and discovered in the experiment.  This allows them the opportunity to stop participating or keep being involved.

Question:  Do they use placebos in cancer treatment clinical trials?
Answer:  It is very unusual, and mostly unheard of, for cancer trials to involve the use of placebos when it comes to treatment.  This is because no standard treatment exists at that time.  If a placebo is used it is usually in conjunction with a new form of treatment that’s being incorporated into it.

Question:  What benefits could a person receive if they choose to participate in a clinical trial?
Answer:  They could find a way to put an existing cancerous condition into remission or find a way to stop another person from getting cancer.  The benefits of clinical trials give many people a higher quality of life and the comfort of knowing they tried to help themselves and/or others through their willingness to participate.

There will never be any way to know if you qualify for cancer clinical trials or would benefit from them if you don’t take the steps to find out information.  The resources, both online and in your community, are great.  Take some time to find out if you have the ability to make a positive change in the world of cancer through your involvement.