Questions to Ask About A Clinical Trial?
If you are considering participating in a clinical trial for cancer, you probably have a lot of clinical trial questions.
Here are some questions to ask your doctor to help you determine if a clinical trial is right for you.
- What is the purpose of the trial?
- What phase is the clinical trial?
- Why would the clinical trial treatment be better than treatment being used now?
- How long do I have to decide whether I want to participate in a clinical trial?
- How does the clinical trial treatment work to treat my brain or spine tumor?
- What are the criteria used to determine if I am eligible for the trial?
- How do you evaluate if the treatment is working?
- How often would I need to have imaging or MRIs?
- How long is the treatment given?
- How will I be informed of the results?
- If the treatment isn’t work, can I stop the trial?
- Can I stop participating in the trial at any point I choose?
- What procedures are required as part of the clinical trial?
- If the clinical trial is a drug therapy, how is the drug given (pills or IV)?
- How often do I have to be seen in the clinic or hospital as part of the trial?
- Can I be part of the clinical trial at a location closer to my home?
- What are the known side effects?
- How are side effects managed?
- Are there other health risks with participating in the trial?
- How could the trial affect my daily life?
- What are the costs to me for participating on this trial?
We encourage you to print these questions and bring them with you to your appointment.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Clinical Trials was originally published by the National Cancer Institute.
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