Clinical trials are extremely important scientific studies, needed and required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to assess new medical treatments, including treatments for prostate cancer. Participating in a clinical trial can offer benefits to people with the disease. Here’s a list we’ve put together of five reasons you should participate in a prostate cancer clinical trial:
1. Access to New Treatments: One of the reasons your should participate in a prostate cancer clinical trial is having the chance to get access to a treatment that is not otherwise available. The treatment may be better than those already approved for the condition. Treatments can include new medications, medication combinations, stem cell treatments, or surgeries. New biological approaches, such as reducing cancer cell growth or preventing tumors from spreading are under study for prostate cancer.
2. Access to Expert Medical Care: By participating in a clinical trial, you can expect to gain access to medical experts in the field at a leading healthcare facility, in addition to access to the treatment provided.
3. Free Treatment or Reduced Costs: Treatments in clinical trials are typically free to participants, or the trial may be associated with reduced costs. Sometimes continued treatment is free even after the trial ends, or in a study extension phase. The costs or reduction of costs are described in the “Informed Consent” document, and should be a topic to discuss with the study’s organizers before a trial begins.
4. Helping Advance Science, Helping Others: Clinical trials help to advance science and, generally, help other people with the medical condition being studied. They may help with making a new treatment available, or improve a general understanding of the disease. People with prostate cancer can participate in trials, but healthy people are also often eligible to test out a new treatment, typically in the early stages of a clinical trial. They offer hope for people with the malignancy that better treatments will become available.
5. Other Benefits of Clinical Trials: Other incentives may also be available to those who participate in a clinical trial. Participants may receive limited reimbursement, such as for travel expenses, or they may receive benefits like counseling or educational materials. These benefits are also detailed in the “Informed Consent” document given to participants before the trial starts.
Read more about reasons to participate in a clinical trial: http://bit.ly/1OxBfCs
Prostate Cancer News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.