Why Volunteer?
By taking part in a clinical trial, you can try a new treatment that may or may not be better than those already available. You can also contribute to better understanding of how the treatment works in people of different ethnic backgrounds and genders.
What Are the Risks?
Many studies require that neither the patient nor the doctor know whether the patient is receiving the experimental treatment, the standard treatment or a placebo (an inactive substance that looks like the drug being tested). In other words, some volunteers may be getting no treatment at all.
Some treatments that are being tested have side effects that can be:
- unpleasant
- serious
- life-threatening
Because the treatments being studied are new, doctors don't always know what the side effects will be. Many side effects are temporary and go away when the treatment is stopped. But others can be permanent. Some side effects appear during treatment, while others may not show up until after the treatment is over. The risks depend on the treatment being studied and should be fully explained to you in the informed consent material.
Questions To Ask
Here are some questions to ask your doctor to help you decide if you want to take part in a clinical trial:
- What is the study trying to find out?
- What kinds of test and exams will I have to take while I'm in the study?
- How much time do these take?
- What is involved in each test?
- How often does the study require me to go to the doctor or clinic?
- Will I be hospitalized? If so, how often and for how long?
- What are the costs to me?
- Will my health insurance pay for it?
- What follow-up will there be?
- What will happen at the end of the study?
- What are my other treatment choices? How do they compare with the treatment being studied?
- What side effects can I expect from the treatment being tested?
- How do they compare with side effects of standard treatment?
- How long will the study last?
How Can I Find Out About Clinical Trials?
One good way to find out if there are any treatments in clinical trials that might help you is to ask your doctor. Other sources of information include:
- (www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials) For Cancer Clinical Trials
- (aidsinfo.nih.gov) For AIDS and HIV Clinical Trials
- (www.fda.gov/oashi/home.html) For General Information About Clinical Trials
- (clinicaltrials.gov) For Other Clinical Trials
Related Resources - Clinical Trials
Source: Why Volunteer? Clinical Trials of Medical Treatments, FDA 98-1294, Food and Drug Administration Department of Health and Human Services
