Clinical Trials

Finding new and better treatments for any kind of disease involves the need to test proposed drugs or technologies before they are made available to the mass market. The testing of these treatments is done by means of the use of clinical trials. Clinical trials recruit patients who are suffering from the disease or disorder in question, allowing them to take advantage of treatment with new drugs or therapies that may change the course in which their disease is progressing. Furthermore, the volunteers who participate in clinical trials are playing a vital part in offering more hope to those afflicted with life-threatening diseases like theirs.

Participation

Many patients are eager to learn about the opportunities available to participate in clinical trials; others are not so sure whether or not they wish to be a part of these tests. Only your doctor can tell you whether or not you are eligible for participation in a particular clinical trial and can provide you with all the benefits and risk factors.

The ability to participate revolves around many different issues. Each trial publishes a set of guidelines that patients must meet before applying for enrollment. For example, some cancer trials only accept patients whose cancer has reached a particular stage. Some dictate that the patient must not have been previously treated with certain drugs or methods in order to participate in the clinical trial. Age is sometimes a factor as well as is the overall health of the patient.

Doctors who are experts in the treatment of a particular disease are generally well-versed in the clinical trials available for that disease and will be able to easily determine whether or not a particular patient qualifies. However, once a patient qualifies, he or she will also need to evaluate a number of factors including risks, the location at which the trial is taking place (if participation from home is not possible), and how many doctor or hospital visits will be required.

What to Expect

The choice to participate in a clinical trials does not come without hesitation. Participants, while provided with as much information as possible before making the decision to enroll, will still be confronted with the unexpected. After all, these are tests of new and novel drugs and treatments, so things like side effects can not always be accurately predicted.  Researchers and doctors realize, however, that the potential for some unpleasant results is possible and clinical trial participants are always very carefully monitored for adverse situations.

Furthermore, some trials (see Phase 3) involve testing a new drug against one that is already on the market. This means that not everyone is guaranteed to receive that new, potentially-better drug. For some, this results in a lot of disappointment. However, these kinds of studies are necessary and, indeed, required before a drug can be put on the market for use. So, those who are not willing to take that chance may prefer not to participate.

Clinical Trial Phases

Clinical trials are divided into three different phases. Some involve the use of hundreds of patients, others only a few. The later phases tend to be the safest in which to participate as the drugs or treatments on trial have already been through rigorous testing. The phases are as follows:

  • Phase I – During this phase, the trial centers on correct dosage and relative safety of the drug or treatment. Phase I trials involve just a small number of participants who are very carefully selected.
  • Phase II – Significantly larger than Phase I trials, Phase II tests the drug or treatment against the disease for which it is intended.
  • Phase III – Employing the largest number of participants, Phase III trials pit the new drug or treatment against an existing one to determine which works better.

Again, your doctor can decide, after reviewing all the information about a particular trial, if it’s right for you. Not every trial will be a good fit, but often there is more than one being conducted at any given time for a particular disease. If you don’t qualify for the doctor’s first choice, another may be available.