It was May 20, 1747, when James Lind develop the first clinical trial for scurvy, a day that is now considered to be International Clinical Trials Day. Any oncologist Orange County-based or otherwise would say that clinical trials have their many benefits, but there are no guarantees. Learn more about clinical trials for cancer right here.
What is a Clinical Trial?
A clinical trial in cancer treatment is a research study where the participants are cancer patients who receive revolutionary new cancer treatments, or an alternative. The alternative is generally a treatment that is often the most conventional treatment for that type of cancer. The purpose of a clinical trial is to determine if the world would benefit from a new kind of treatment.
If the treatment given during a clinical trial works, those who participate and receive that trial drug would benefit. That is how new cancer treatments are developed.
How do Clinical Trials Work?
Clinical trials have been conducted for patients at all stages of cancer, for almost all kinds of cancer. Whether or not you are able to participate will depend on a lot of factors, and sometimes luck. Every trial is conducted by a doctor who prepares the trial using the scientific method. This is the method that is used to outline a scientific experiment, which is what a clinical trial is.
Patients will need to meet certain eligibility criteria in order to be accepted into the trial, as clinical trials are usually limited to a certain number of participants. Every patient is informed completely on all elements of the trial in most cases. They will sometimes not be told who is getting what treatment, but they would be told when they will and won’t be getting medication. They will also know what medical testing will be done and when to determine if the trial has worked.
Talk to Your Oncologist
Clinical trials can give hope, but they aren’t always available to every patient. Talk to your oncologist to see if there are any clinical trials available for your kind of cancer.