Who Can Join a Clinical Trial?
Based on the questions the research is trying to answer, each
clinical trial protocol clearly states who can or cannot join
the trial.
Common criteria for entering a trial:
- Having a certain type or stage of cancer
- Having received a certain kind of therapy in the past
- Being in a certain age group
Criteria such as these help ensure that people in the trial
are as alike as possible. This way doctors can be sure that
the results are due to the treatment being studied and not
other factors.
These criteria also help ensure:
- Safety
Some people have health problems besides cancer that
could be made worse by the treatments in a study. If you
are interested in joining a trial, you will receive medical
tests to be sure that you are not put at increased risk.
- Accurate and meaningful study results
You may not be able to join some clinical trials if you
already have had another kind of treatment for your
cancer. Otherwise, doctors could not be sure whether
your results were due to the treatment being studied or
the earlier treatment.
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