What is a clinical trial?
A clinical trial is a research study that uses volunteers to test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis or treatment of a disease.
A cancer clinical trial is a research study that is designed to answer important questions about cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
What is the purpose of a clinical trial?
Most clinical trials are designed to ask a question that hasn't been answered yet such as, "Does a certain medicine cure a disease, or make some of the symptoms go away?" The results help us learn which treatments are currently most effective for certain diseases.
For cancer in particular, medical research is very important. Clinical trials test the efficacy of new medications, evaluate new approaches designed to minimize long-term effects, and provide treatments to preserve quality of life during and after treatment.
Why should my child enroll in a clinical trial?
Most pediatric cancers are treated at major medical institutions, which use state-of-the-art treatments. Many of these treatments are based on clinical trials. Clinical trials rely on scientific findings, which occur every day, to investigate the newest medications and most advanced procedures to treat childhood cancer.
Doctors recommend what they believe will be the best treatment. In many cases, your child may receive the best care possible by following a plan outlined in a clinical trial.
What if I want to remove my child from a clinical trial?
Participation in clinical trials is completely voluntary. Before we begin treating your child on the trial, we will fully explain all parts of the treatment plan and fill out formal consent forms. You may remove your child from the medical study at any time.
Are there long-term benefits of clinical trials?
Clinical trials are important in the long-term treatment of childhood cancer, and discoveries made years ago through clinical trials are now the standard of care for conditions like leukemia and lymphoma. By participating in a trial, your child will help us develop improved treatments for future children with the same condition.
How can I obtain additional information?
To help patients and families understand more about clinical trials, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute produced an informational video called "Entering a Clinical Trial: is it right for you?" The video explains how to evaluate, enroll and participate in a cancer clinical trial. If the video does not answer your question, our doctors and nurses are available to address your concerns.
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