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Years ago, clinical trials offered a last ray of hope to the sickest cancer patients when conventional treatment failed. Today, clinical trials number in the thousands and some patients with common cancers can even enroll in a research study as a first treatment. Unfortunately, patients with cancer and their families do not fully understand clinical trials. Below are some of the most common misperceptions, along with the facts:
Myth
Since the treatments are randomly assigned, I might get a placebo, or sugar pill, instead of the new treatment. I will be no better off – and possibly even worse off – if I enroll in a trial.
Reality
Placebos are rarely used in cancer clinical trials and they are never used in place of the best-known treatment for a given cancer. Your well-being is a top priority. You will either receive the experimental treatment or the current best standard treatment available so researchers can determine which is more effective.
Myth
I’m going to be treated like a guinea pig.
Reality
Not so. You will receive continuous, superior health care by a medical team specially trained to treat cancer. You will be regularly monitored by a research nurse that is assigned to you. A recent survey of cancer patients found that 97 percent of the respondents said that they received excellent or good quality care, and were treated with “dignity and respect.”
Myth
My insurance won’t cover the cost of a clinical trial.
Reality
Since medical research is regulated and closely evaluated, many insurance providers cover the cost of a clinical trial. In fact, 79 percent of survey respondents who enrolled in cancer clinical trials reported that their costs were covered by their insurance plan. Many states have passed laws to require that insurers cover the routine expenses of clinical trials. In June 2000, Medicare was directed to cover certain patient care costs associated with Medicare beneficiaries’ participation in clinical trials. Information about what Medicare will cover can be found on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration) Web site, www.cms.hhs.gov. To find out in advance what costs are likely to be covered, talk to a doctor, nurse, social worker, or your insurance provider.
Myth
I can only participate in a trial if I have access to a major medical institution in a city.
Reality
Clinical trials are conducted at academic centers, hospitals, and community oncology practices throughout the country.
Myth
You should only agree to take part in a clinical trial if your cancer is terminal or there are no other treatment options available outside a trial.
Reality
Some clinical trials are reserved for cancer patients who have exhausted all the treatment options for their disease. But clinical trials of various types are open to patients at all stages of treatment.
Myth
If I join a clinical trial, I won’t be able to drop out without jeopardizing my treatment.
Reality
This is not true. You may withdraw from a clinical trial at any time.
Additional information about the common misperceptions surrounding cancer clinical trials is available on the Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups Web site, www.cancertrialshelp.org.
To obtain a cancer clinical trials information booklet, visit the National Cancer Institute’s Web site, www.cancer.gov, and order Taking Part in Clinical Trials: What Cancer Patients Need To Know.
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