Preface
The public understands very little about clinical trials. Some
people are fearful of being "guinea pigs," even though participants
in clinical trials receive high-quality care. Other people are not
aware of clinical trials as an option, do not understand how they
work, or do not have access to them.
Likewise, health care professionals may be unaware of appropriate
clinical trials, may not want to refer people out of their practice,
may believe that standard therapy is best, or may think that getting
involved in clinical trials will add an undue administrative burden
to their work.
Today's standard cancer treatments were yesterday's clinical
trials. Successful clinical trials have:
Increased survival rates of participants with
testicular cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma
Decreased morbidity associated with the surgical
treatment of many cancers
Resulted in the development of new compounds and
techniques to reduce the side effects of cancer therapies
This guide is designed to familiarize health care professionals
and others with the ins and outs of clinical trials. It describes
how:
The clinical trial process works
Trials are designed to obtain particular information
Clinical trials advance standard cancer treatment
Trial participants are safeguarded
People might face obstacles to participating in clinical
trials
To find a local clinical trial
After reading the guide and reviewing the case study, the reader
will be better able to manage issues related to clinical trials. The
reader should be able to:
Discuss clinical trials as potential treatment or
preventive options
Answer people's questions and allay their fears about
clinical trials
Locate and refer people to accessible clinical
trials
Ultimately help advance the early detection, treatment,
and eventual prevention of cancer
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