Is It Too Late for Me to Enter a Clinical Trial If I Have Completed a Course of Cancer Therapy and Am Now in Remission?
Studies are being done with treatments that will improve the durability (length of time) of remission. Find out about trials available to you by
•requesting information on the latest trials related to your type of cancer by contacting the Cancer Information Service 131120. This number will connect you to the Cancer Council, Society or Foundation in your state.
•asking your oncologist or surgeon
•contacting major cancer centers or hospitals that may be conducting trials which have been featured in the media (radio, TV or newspapers)
What If My Oncologist Discourages Me from Investigating or Participating in a Clinical Trial?
Discuss with your oncologist why he or she opposes your participating in a clinical trial. Consider getting a second opinion from an oncologist who encourages participation in clinical trials but does not participate personally.
It is possible that your oncologist discourages you because he or she is uncomfortable with clinical trials or does not want to “lose you” as a patient to the oncologists running the trial. One would like to hope, rather, that it is because your doctor has your physical and emotional health in mind.
Informed consent is your written approval to receive treatment after
you have received information that allows you to understand
• the nature of the treatment
• the purpose of the treatment
• the benefits, short-term and long-term •the risks, short-term and long-term
• the expense, short-term and long-term
Once I Participate in a Clinical Trial, Am I Obligated to Stay in the Trial?
No. Participation in a clinical trial is totally up to you. You сan drop out of the study at any moment without jeopardizing your medical care. You have every right to do what is best for you, physically or emotionally. If, during the study, it becomes obvious that the treatment is not good for you, you will be removed from the study.
However, agreeing to participate in a clinical trial implies a level of commitment. It takes manpower, equipment, and money to г a clinical trial. Information is lost and costs are increased when participants drop out.
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