Who Can Join a Clinical Trial for Cancer

Ground-breaking cancer treatments can save lives, but clinical studies to discover them are not possible without research participants. Here’s why you might consider participating.

Did you know you can participate in cancer research even if you’re not a person with cancer? Studies often need volunteers to test cancer screening methods and more.

However, if you’re navigating cancer treatment, participating in clinical trials can give you access to cutting-edge treatments, a personal connection with cancer experts, and personalized care.

Yet fewer than 1 in 20 people with cancer participate in clinical trials, and lack of enrollment is a major reason why some have to be cancelled.

Participating in cancer research is a special opportunity for you to make a difference.

Participating in clinical trials for cancer treatments is a powerful way to help people with the disease.

You’re helping further the science of potentially life changing new treatments that could help many people down the road, including you and your loved ones.

For cancer treatments to be effective in more people, they need to be clinically tested in a diverse range of people of different sexes, ages, and racial and ethnic backgrounds.

The more participants a clinical trial gets, the more accurate and reliable its results will be. If you’re a person from a historically marginalized group, your participation can be a unique contribution to health equity.

Every new cancer treatment needs to undergo clinical trials — tested on human volunteers — to get approved for use. These clinical trials may be completed at universities, clinics, hospitals, and other research facilities.

By participating in clinical trials, you may have the chance to receive a new cancer treatment before it’s available to the general public.

If you participate in clinical trials, researchers will regularly measure your vital statistics and well-being to monitor the treatment’s effects on many levels. This means you’ll likely have a team of specialists monitoring your health closely during the trial.

Specifics vary depending on the trial. The research coordinator can provide details about what specific clinical elements they plan to monitor.

Cancer treatment may be provided to you at no cost if you choose to participate in clinical trials, including the treatment itself and hospital stays.

Other clinical trials may require you to pay some expenses with your insurance or out of pocket. You can ask the research coordinator what the costs are before you decide to participate.

Before a treatment goes to clinical trials in humans, researchers have studied it extensively in lab and animal experiments to assess its potential safety and effectiveness in humans.

Then it goes through four phases of clinical trials in people.

Researchers establish the basics about a treatment, including its safety, effective dose, side effects, highest tolerable dose, and whether the treatment acts on the cancer in a way researchers expect.

These usually involve groups of about 30 people or fewer.

Phase 2 clinical trials look more deeply into how the treatment affects the cancer, for example by slowing tumor growth or shrinking tumors.

These typically happen in larger groups of about 50 to 100 people.

Phase 3 clinical trials compare the new treatment to approved standard treatments, including how effective they are and how their side effects compare.

Phase 4 clinical trials happen after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the treatment. They look into the long-term safety and effectiveness of the treatment.

Here are a few more things to consider before you sign up.

Before you participate in clinical trials, the researchers should inform you about what will happen and the risks involved. Then, you’ll need to sign an informed consent document.

If you’re interested in participating in clinical trials, your relationship with your doctor can also help you stay informed. They can confirm whether a particular clinical trial is a good fit for you and give you any extra information you need to make an informed decision.

A common misconception about participating in clinical trials is the idea that you’ll receive a cutting-edge new treatment.

Yes, it’s possible you might — or you might not if you’re assigned to be part of the control group, who receive the standard treatment that’s already been approved. You probably will not receive a placebo, such as a sugar pill, in trials for a new cancer treatment.

The research team will always tell you the treatment you’ll receive ahead of time.

Another misconception is that you’ll need to get a referral from your doctor to participate in clinical trials.

The truth is that you can find them and apply for them on your own, though it helps to speak with your doctor about whether the trial is a good fit for you.

If you’re interested in participating in clinical trials, asking your doctor is a good first step.

Here are a few other ways to get started:

• ResearchMatch.org: An online platform funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that matches research participants with studies.
• ClinicalTrials.gov: A search tool that helps you find clinical research going on around the world. You can filter your results so that you see only studies that are currently recruiting.
• Search on Google: Studies often advertise online. Searching for main keywords will help you find them, including “cancer” and “clinical trial.”
• For FAQ: Read this page from the National Cancer Institute.