Information About Clinical Trials

Clinical trials help to find new ways to diagnose, treat, manage and prevent cancer. If a new method or treatment is determined by health authorities to be safe and effective in clinical trials, then it can be made available to the public. Cancer treatments used today were developed and tested in clinical trials.

Participating in a clinical trial may give patients the opportunity to test newer treatments that may be better than the standard treatments. Understanding what clinical trials are, why they are conducted, and the risks and benefits of participating in one can give you the information you need to decide whether clinical trial participation is for you.

Weighing the benefits and drawbacks of clinical trial participation

Every treatment, whether new or standard, is associated with both benefits and risks.

Possible benefits

• You may be among the first to benefit if the new therapy is proven to work.
• Participants of a clinical trial are monitored closely and are often required to make frequent visits to the clinic and to keep records or fill out questionnaires. This may offer you comfort.
• You are helping to improve cancer care, whatever the outcome, if you take part in a clinical trial.

Possible drawbacks

• Little information is available about the possible side effects and about the effectiveness of the new treatment. It may not be as good as the standard therapy or cause more side effects.
• You may find taking part in a trial to be time-consuming. You may be required to take extra tests or medication and be asked to keep records or fill out questionnaires. You may find this too disruptive to your life.
• The cost of care, medicine and testing are generally covered during a clinical trial. However, taking part in the study may require additional expenses for the participant such as additional trips to the treatment centre or medications to treat side effects.

You should weigh all these factors carefully with your doctor before deciding to participate in a clinical trial. Taking part in a clinical may not include necessarily mean taking a new treatment, as you may be in the placebo (inactive drug) arm of a study. To find out which clinical trials are now being conducted in Canada, you can call the Canadian Cancer Society’s Cancer Information Service (CIS) at 1-888-939-3333.

In many cases your doctor may have information about current clinical trials. Be sure to let your doctor know if you are interested in participating in a trial, and ask if you might be an appropriate candidate.

Or you can visit the National Cancer Institute of Canada's website for a current listing of clinical trials of new cancer therapies, supportive care and anti-cancer medications being conducted by the Clinical Trials Group across Canada and internationally.

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