What are the potential risks and benefits of participating?
Each clinical trial is unique, and participating carries its own benefits and risks.
Possible benefits include:
You may gain treatment options.
If the new drug or treatment works, you may be among the first to benefit.
You will be helping patients in the future.
The trial sponsor may pay for some of your medical care or tests. Be sure to ask your doctor or the research nurse about who is responsible for these costs before agreeing to participate.
Possible risks include:
- Side effects of the treatment being tested may be worse than those of standard treatment.
- Side effects may occur that the doctor did not anticipate.
- The new treatment may turn out to be no more effective or even less effective than the standard treatment.
- As with standard treatment, the new treatment may not work for you even if it works for other patients.
- Your medical care may be more expensive than it would have been if you'd received the standard treatment. Your health insurance company may not pay for your clinical trial care or tests. So be sure to ask your doctor or the research nurse about who is responsible for these costs before agreeing to participate.
- You may have to receive all your tests and treatment at the institution conducting the clinical trial. Depending on where you live, this may require more time and money for travel.
