Medical advancements, such as new drugs, radiation therapy and surgical procedures for cancer, are made possible through the voluntary participation of individuals in clinical trials. Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University specialists pioneer the world's most promising treatments of tomorrow.
In cancer clinical trials, 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. If a new treatment approach is proven to work and you are taking it, you may be among the first to benefit. You may have the chance to help others and improve cancer treatment.
A clinical trial is a form of research that uses human volunteers (called participants) to help answer specific questions about new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases. Clinical trials are extremely important because they allow patients access to novel treatments that are not yet available through standard clinical practice. At Winship, you have access to clinical trials for virtually 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. It is best to talk with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial. Your doctor can help figure out whether or not you are able to participate. 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.
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 making a decision. 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 or not to participate. New treatments in cancer clinical trials are not always better than standard care. You may have side effects that medical care providers do not expect or that are worse than those of standard treatment. 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.
If you are diagnosed with cancer and have a personal interest in research and would like to improve the care of patients in the future, participating in clinical trials may be 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.
Health insurance and managed care providers do not always cover all patient care costs in a clinical trial. Talk to a financial counselor to find out in advance what costs are likely to be paid in your case.
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 a physician before deciding to participate.
There are several websites that provide information about clinical trials, including:
Emory Healthcare offers a multitude of clinical trials in other specialties, including heart and vascular, neurology, transplant and more. Visit https://clinicaltrials.emory.edu/ to find a clinical trial at Emory or https://irb.emory.edu/participants to learn about your participation in a clinical trial at Emory.
