Clinical Research FAQs

Questions

Questions and Answers

Clinical research is an important step toward finding a cure for cancer, but there are many misconceptions that keep patients from participating in these life-saving options. Below are some clinical research FAQs to review before deciding if you want to participate in one of our available studies.

Is it extremely difficult to find a compatible research study?

Finding a compatible cancer research study that meets all of your needs is not as complicated as you may think. Networks of community-based oncology physicians like Comprehensive Cancer Centers that have national affiliations with The US Oncology Network, UCLA, Community Clinical Oncology Program funded by NIH and various pharmaceutical company sponsored trials at Comprehensive can help you find clinical research studies in Nevada.

Do participants risk getting a placebo or no treatment at all?

Placebos, or sugar pills, are never used in a research study if an existing standard therapy is available. Patients who enroll in a clinical research studies receive either the best known treatment or a new and potentially more effective cancer therapy.

Do participants in clinical research studies pay for everything out of pocket?

It’s important to know that clinical research studies can be funded from a variety of sources. Often times, insurance companies may fund all or part of treatment during a trial. In addition, certain trial organizers may provide funding, or there may be other private or public programs available to assist you. At Comprehensive Cancer Centers, patients who participate in clinical research studies do so at no cost to them for the treatment and tests.

Are clinical research studies only available for patients who are out of other treatment options?

Clinical research studies are not used as a last resort after all other options have been exhausted. Cancer research exists for all types and stages of cancer and even cancer prevention. Clinical research studies can be beneficial for newly diagnosed patients or patients who have not responded or are unable to use current FDA approved treatments.

Since clinical research is testing unproven therapies, is the process risky for my health?

Many patients feel apprehensive about hearing the words “trial” or “experimental” but contrary to popular belief, these therapies have actually undergone extensive testing before being used by humans. In addition, there are different trial phases that are meant to test different aspects of a possible new treatment. For example, some trials test for safety, others for effectiveness and some are meant to research the long term effects of a new therapy. However, the staff at Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada considers patient safety the utmost priority and carefully monitors the patient throughout the duration of the study. It’s a good idea to talk with an oncologist about options of the types trials to consider.