TITLE: Benefits of breast cancer patient’s participation in clinical trials
KEYWORDS USED: clinical trial; clinical research; Site Management Organization (SMO); informed consent; clinical research organization; patient participation, patient recruitment
ARTICLE CODE: PFC0803_1
Breast cancer is the second major cause of cancer deaths in women [login to view URL] diagnosis is a terrifying event that requires support from finding the right doctor to getting the best treatment. Patient participation in breast cancer clinical trials can be an effective stride to understand the disease well and fight against it.
Clinical trials help to assess new medical treatments, and get expert medical care and additional counselling. Participationof breast cancer patients inclinical trials can have several benefits:
Clinical trials provide access to new medical treatments
Patients may get better treatment with fewer side effects than the standard treatment for the specific condition. New treatments for breast cancer include some novel drugs, medication combinations, surgeries, or stem cell treatments. Some clinical trials on breast cancer are under study to bring out new biological approaches such as preventing tumor growth. Such treatments may improve the quality of life of patients with breast cancer.
Clinical research provides access to expert medical care
When patients participate in aclinical trial, they can receive expert medical advice and treatment from top doctors and scientists at leading healthcare clinics from across the world. Patients canbe closely monitored during the trial and any side effects, ifencountered, can be dealt with promptly.
Trials reduce cost of expensive treatment
Some clinical trials may facilitatefree treatment or pay for part of thetreatment covering themedical and travel expenses during the study. The cost-related information is present in the informed consent document that should be discussed completely with the study organizers such as site management organizations (SMOs) and clinical researchorganizations before the trial begins.
Trials contribute to research that may be life-saving
Patient participation in clinical trialshelps advance science,design new treatment strategies, improve the general understanding of the disease, therebyhelping other people with the same medical condition. In addition to the cancer patients, healthy people can also help in assessing new treatments in the earlier stages of clinical trials.
Today, severalbreast cancer treatments such as—Herceptin, tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, and taxanes –are available because a large number of women volunteered to take partin clinical trials to test them.
Thus, active participation of breast cancer patients inclinical trials can be a potential benefit as itcan optimize their quality of life and lead to a more positive outlook.