Benefits of Clinical Trials
Do Clinical Trials for Cancer Work?
There are many advantages to enrolling in a clinical trial. Read our success stories here, and explore the benefits below:
- Superior treatment benefits:
Patients in clinical trials are given access to superior diagnostic tools and advanced treatment than they’d receive in standard health care facilities. This includes better imaging tools, molecular testing, surgical approaches, and advanced chemotherapy protocols.
- Access to better drugs:
All clinical trials must demonstrate that the drug they’re testing is superior to standard treatment – and should, therefore, be the preferred choice for initial treatment. Before being approved, a clinical trial goes through rigorous ethical and scientific evaluation.
- Best treatment either way:
For all cancer-related clinical trials, standard treatment is used in place of a placebo. This means you are guaranteed to be receiving the same treatment your oncologist would be giving you – with the bonus of benefitting from superior treatment monitoring tools and treatment protocols.
- Free for patients:
Because the majority of clinical trials are funded by the government or a private company, there’s usually no financial cost for the patient. This is an excellent way to benefit from the best quality care and treatment, without paying out of pocket.
- Available any time:
While most patients enrol in a clinical trial as their last resort, it’s equally possible to participate in a clinical trial as your first line of treatment. Please note that all clinical trial volunteers are allowed to leave the clinical trial at any time.
- Location independent:
Patients can enrol in a clinical trial no matter where the main trial site is located. You’re often able to receive treatment close to your home at a local facility, and sometimes even from your own oncologist. And at CTOAM, we will always try our best to get you a clinical trial as close to your home as possible.
- Contribute to medical science:
Some patients choose to participate in clinical trials in order to support scientific advancement. Because treatment development relies on the data from clinical trials, participating in them is extremely valuable for scientific progress.
Despite the many advantages offered by clinical trials, few cancer patients actually participate in them. In fact, less than five percent of adult cancer patients are enrolled in clinical trials each year.
Why are so few cancer patients participating in clinical trials? There are two main reasons for this:
- Misinformation about clinical trials: Eighty percent of cancer patients are unaware that clinical trials are an option for them. Most people either lack knowledge or have incorrect information on what clinical trials are: patients are often unclear on whom clinical trials are for and what they require, as well as the risks and benefits involved.
- Lack of access to clinical trials: Applying to clinical trials takes a lot of time and resources. The majority of the time doctors do not have enough funding nor staff to help their patients enrol. And to enrol in a clinical trial on one’s own can be even more daunting: you need to understand the process, have a lot of time, and be willing to put in a lot of effort, with no guarantee of a favourable outcome.
Either way, most cancer patients are missing out on potentially life-saving options. And this is where CTOAM comes in: our cancer research and patient advocacy experts will help you enrol in the right clinical trial, as close to home as possible. Register for a Precision Second Opinion to discover how we can help you to reduce stress and dramatically increase treatment success. Contact us today to discover how CTOAM can help you access the best tests and treatments for your form of cancer – and start feeling better, faster.
