Cancer clinical trials may offer you additional treatment options not widely available. They help physicians and researchers develop new and better ways to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat cancer and manage cancer symptoms and treatment side effects.
Medical advancements in cancer care depend on the voluntary participation of patients in clinical trials. We have compiled answers below to many of the most frequent questions about cancer clinical trials.
A clinical trial is a form of research that uses patient volunteers (called participants) to help answer specific questions about new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases. Clinical trials allow patients access to novel treatments that are not yet available through standard clinical practice. At Winship, you have access to clinical trials for nearly every type of cancer.
There are different types of clinical trials, including:
Clinical trials take place in "phases," and each phase helps researchers answer specific questions.
All clinical trials include guidelines, called eligibility criteria, about who can participate. Talk with your doctor about whether you are eligible for a clinical trial. In addition to the specific disease or condition, other requirements may include age, sex, previous treatments and other known medical conditions or family medical history.
If you are diagnosed with cancer and have a personal interest in research or would like to improve the care of patients in the future, participating in a clinical trial may be right for you. Keep in mind that participation is voluntary, so if you change your mind at any point during the study, you have the right to stop participating. Just make sure to talk to your doctor first.
In a clinical trial, your care will be overseen by a Principal Investigator (PI) and a team of health care professionals including advanced practice providers, oncology nurses and clinical research coordinators. The PI is the lead researcher in charge of the clinical trial, while other team members support various aspects of patient care and research. Your doctor will be in communication with the PI throughout your care.
Yes, there is typically follow-up after participating in a clinical trial. This may include follow-up visits with your care team to monitor your health and progress. The purpose of follow-up is to assess the long-term effects of the treatment, ensure participant safety and gather more data for the study.
The National Institutes of Health's clinical trials website provides a list of questions a person should ask when considering taking part in clinical trials. While there may be benefits to participating in clinical trials, there can also be risks, so it is important to talk with your doctor before deciding to participate.
As a clinical trial participant, you'll typically interact with the research team, have scheduled visits and procedures, undergo extra tests and follow a modified treatment plan, which will likely involve additional tests and monitoring of your health.
We welcome trial participants from all over Georgia and beyond. Talk with your doctor about whether you are eligible to participate in a clinical trial. If you are interested in a particular study, they can help determine if it is right for you.
Our clinical research team can be reached at 404-778-1868 or via email with any inquiries or referrals.
We offer clinical trials at the locations listed below, although some trials may only be offered at selected locations.
There are several websites that provide information about clinical trials, including:
Contemplating taking part in a cancer clinical trial can be challenging. Whether you do or not may depend on many factors. Below we address some of the common concerns you may have, but each person's situation is unique, and the reasons for wanting or not wanting to participate in a trial will differ from person to person.
It is important to understand that all medical research involves some amount of risk. Since risks and benefits are different for each clinical trial, make sure you talk to members of the research team before deciding. They can tell you about the known risks and benefits of the trial, as well as other available treatment options to help you and your loved ones decide whether to participate. New treatments in clinical trials are not always better than standard care. You may have side effects that doctors do not expect or that are worse than those of standard treatment.
Through a clinical trial, you may gain access to new treatments before they are widely available, potentially improving their health outcomes. Clinical trials also contribute to a greater understanding of diseases and can lead to the development of more effective treatments, benefiting future patients. If a new treatment approach is proven to work and you are taking it, you may be among the first to benefit. Even if a new treatment has benefits, it may not work for you. Even standard treatments, proven effective for many people, do not help everyone.
Clinical trials are designed with safety as a top priority, incorporating numerous safeguards and regulations. While not entirely without risk, they are subject to rigorous oversight and monitoring to minimize potential harm. Your safety is protected through multiple mechanisms, including informed consent, expert review of trial protocols and continuous monitoring by independent committees and government agencies like the FDA.
The function of Emory University’s Institutional Review Board is to protect participants by ensuring safeguards are in place for each study. Visit their website for additional information about participating in a clinical trial at Emory.
A placebo has no active ingredients or therapeutic effects. Most cancer clinical trials do not use placebos. If you do not receive the new treatment being tested, you will receive the best standard treatment. This may be as good as, or better than, the new approach.
Yes, while also providing closer monitoring and likely more frequent visits and follow-up care.
No, cancer clinical trials are not just for patients who have run out of other treatment options. Many trials are open to patients with newly diagnosed cancers or those who haven't yet explored all standard treatments. Some trials even aim to prevent cancer in high-risk individuals or to prevent cancer from coming back.
In randomized studies, neither you nor your doctor can choose which group you’re in. Participants are randomly assigned to either the treatment group or the control group (which receives the best current treatment). This randomization helps ensure that the groups are similar in health status, reducing the risk of differences affecting the outcomes. If participants could choose their treatment, the study results might not be as reliable.
Some people find randomized clinical trials unsettling because neither the patient nor the doctor can select the group. This can be particularly challenging if the trial involves very different treatments and there's a belief that one might be better. However, it's important to remember that the purpose of the study is to determine which treatment is more effective, as this is not yet known. Participating in such a study might be the only opportunity to access a new treatment.
Insurance companies typically cover the components of a trial that are part of standard treatment, and the study sponsor will cover the research components. Your study team will be able to provide specific information about the trial you are considering.
Clinical trial participants may encounter some out-of-pocket costs. These can include travel and lodging expenses, routine care costs not specifically related to the trial and potentially lost wages or childcare costs if time commitments impact employment or family care.
At Winship, our social services team are prepared to assist you by connecting you with community resources that may be available.
Yes. Your participation in a cancer clinical trial is completely voluntary. If you agree to participate, you can leave a clinical trial at any time.
