Why Participate in a Clinical Trial?

People participate in cancer clinical trials for a variety of reasons. Volunteering for research studies can give patients access to promising new drugs long before they are available to the general public. Although there is always a chance that a new treatment will prove to be disappointing, there is reason to believe that it will be as good as, or better than, current treatments. Every effort is made to ensure the patients' safety; the care from the physicians during the course of the study is highly controlled and monitored. The patients who take part in clinical trials become part of a network of clinical trials carried out around the country. Included in this network are cancer experts who have pooled their experience to design and monitor the clinical trials. Patients in these studies receive the benefit of this specialization and expertise. Patients considering participating in clinical research should talk about it with their doctors and medical care givers. They also should ask about the credentials and experience of the individuals and the facility involved in the study.

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