A cancer trial is a tool that helps medical professionals examine and trace the illness to develop its background and establish treatment methods. People who experienced cancer recidivism often strive to undergo clinical trials to enable doctors to compose a more complex picture of the illness. The procedure of the test is a serious issue; the patient should know possible outcomes. It is essential to examine the procedure of cancer trials to understand the process and necessary research.
Cancer trials help doctors to invent new methods of care for patients with cancer. People who strive to participate in the trial must possess the relevant information for this procedure. For instance, it is essential to know the type of cancer and its stage, as not all patients can join the trial (Unger et al., 2019). Moreover, the eligibility depends on financial condition, organizational, and attitudinal barriers (Winkfield et al., 2018). It is important to note that patients’ insurance is not obliged to cover the costs of cancer trials (Winkfield et al., 2018). Therefore, the participation can be limited to financial issues and coverage policies.
Moreover, there are multiple risks for those who decide to participate in the trial. For instance, a cancer trial may become extra stressful for the patient. It is also possible that new treatment will be worse than the previous cure method; side effects are not excluded (NIH, 2020). People who decide to participate must have a medical history that describes their type and stage of cancer and have current health status (NIH, 2020). Moreover, the person should possess information about surgeries, allergies, illnesses, medicines, habits, and sometimes may include information about diseases of family members.
Overall, the cancer trial is available for a specific group of people, as it limits the eligibility of patients to a particular type and stage of cancer. Besides, the participation requires relevant information about medicines taken, operations, and illnesses that the person may have. The insurance may not cover the costs of procedures, and the risks are significant for those who decided to enroll in the cancer trial.
References
NIH. (2020). Deciding to take part in cancer clinical trials. National Cancer Institute.
Unger, J. M., Vaidya, R., Hershman, D. L., Minasian, L. M., & Fleury, M. E. (2019). Systematic review and meta-analysis of the magnitude of structural, clinical, and physician and patient barriers to cancer clinical trial participation. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 111(3), 245–255.
Winkfield, K. M., Phillips, J. K., Joffe, S., Halpern, M. T., Wollins, D. S., & Moy, B. (2018). Addressing financial barriers to patient participation in clinical trials: ASCO policy statement. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 36(33), 3331–3339.