Clinical Trials

Cancer research is a solution that solves many impediments to a patient receiving appropriate cancer care including treatment costs and lack of options. Research trials provide more treatment options for patients, often cover travel costs, and shift most of the cancer care costs to the trial sponsor (pharmaceutical company). Unfortunately, today, only 3-5% of cancer patients ever enroll on a clinical trial. The only way to develop new cancer treatments is to enroll patients on research trials. The faster trials are accrued, the faster a determination can be made by the FDA for a potential cancer treatment. There is a limited number of cancer treatments approved for each type of cancer. Yet there are hundreds to thousands of research trials for each type of cancer that hold potential and hope for cancer patients. There are many reasons why only 3-5% of cancer patients concern participation in a clinical research trial, including lack of physicians who participate in research trials, lack of patient knowledge that research trials exist, and a number of myths & misconceptions regarding research that often scares patients away.

Common Myths & Misconceptions of Cancer Research Trials

If there was a research trial that existed for me, I am sure my cancer physician and team would have discussed it with me. They always discuss all of my options.

Research trials always involve “experimental”, non-FDA approved, treatments and we don’t know how they will work or what side effects they may cause. I don’t want to be the “guinea pig”.

There’s a good chance I could receive a fake, placebo treatment on a research trial.

Research is expensive and experimental, so my insurance may deny coverage.

I might not know which treatment I am on “Blinded” and I won’t have any control on which treatment I receive. I may be randomized to a treatment I don’t want to be on or forced to stay on a trial after I signed consent.

Research trials require extra tests, procedures, and doctor visits.

Research trials are only considered when all other treatment options have failed and you can only go on one research trial.

I may lose time on a research trial when I could have been on an approved treatment to better control the cancer.

Research treatments are only trying to make patients live longer without regard to quality of life.

I may have to leave my current cancer physician to participate in a research trial and I like him/her.

Someone other than my cancer physician will be making my treatment decisions.

I am fearful that the pharmaceutical company is using me as a guinea pig and that the research trial has not been evaluated by professionals outside of the company.

I only want FDA approved treatments because those are proven to work in all patients and have no side effects.

If a research trial is effective, then it will become FDA approved. I will wait until then.