Taking Part in ResearchThe following information has been taken from the We Are Macmillan. Cancer Support website (http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Clinicaltrials/Clinicaltrials.aspx) Cancer research trials are carried out to try to find new and better ways of preventing, diagnosing, screening, treating and controlling the symptoms of cancer. They may also look at how the quality of life or sense of well-being for people with cancer can be improved. Trials that are carried out on patients are known as clinical trials. Carrying out clinical trials is the only way to find out if a new approach to cancer care is better than the standard approach currently used. Without trials, it would be very difficult to improve the prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. There would also be a risk that patients could be given treatments that could be harmful. Treatment trials are the most common type of trial. In cancer care, they may be carried out to:
Treatment trials are the only reliable way of finding out if a different operation, type of chemotherapy, targeted therapy or radiotherapy is better than what is already available. If doctors already knew that a new treatment was better than the standard treatment, there would be no need for a clinical trial and patients would be offered it routinely as part of their care. The treatment being tested may aim to:
Many drugs that have been tested in clinical trials are now commonly used. |
Quality of life trialsYou may be invited to one of these trials, which look at ways of improving a person’s sense of well-being. Many quality of life trials are combined with treatment trials because doctors want to know what effect a particular treatment has on a person’s everyday life. They often include questionnaires, which are completed at different stages during the trial. These may assess the psychological and financial impact of the treatment on both patients and their carers. For example, it may assess whether someone has to take time off work to look after you while you have your cancer treatment. |
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Thyroid Cancer Forum UKDr. Kate GarcezChristie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, M20 4BX |
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