Should I take part in a clinical trial?

Scientists around the world are continually studying cancer. They are developing new ways of treating cancer like new medicines and new surgical procedures.¹ If their experiments look promising, new treatments enter a clinical trial, a medical research study during which the safety and effectiveness of new treatments are tested on people.^1,2

Clinical trials can test:²

New screening or diagnostic methods
New treatments or new combinations of existing therapies
How to minimise side effects

Your doctor may suggest a clinical trial or you may find one yourself. Before enrolling, find out:³

The aim of the study
What treatment involves
What you will have to do

The following apply to all clinical trials:

They have been approved by a “research ethics committee”⁴
Your eligibility for taking part in certain trials may depend on the stage of your cancer or your age, for instance⁵
You may change your mind and leave at any time during the trial³
If tests based on data show the treatment is harmful, the trial can be stopped⁴
All trials will provide medical insurance for the unlikely event that something should go wrong⁴

Consider all the benefits and risks associated with your particular clinical trial before agreeing to participate.⁵

Potential benefits:⁵
- Exclusive access to a new, potentially better, treatment
- Helping to further our knowledge of cancer and cancer treatments
- Extra supervision by the research team
Potential risks:
- The tested treatment may not be better than current treatments⁵
- Unexpected side effects⁵
- Extra testing⁵
- You may be put on a placebo, a drug or treatment with no medical effects, instead of a medicine to treat cancer^6,7

The person who suggests you take part in a clinical trial will provide you with all the information you need and explain why they have made the suggestion. It may help to talk to family and friends before you decide whether to take part.³

Glossary

References