Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials - Should I Take Part?
A prostate cancer clinical trial can conjure up many images and questions in the minds of prostate cancer patients
. Will I be a guinea pig? Will I be safe? What are the risks and what are the potential gains?
So then, what are the benefits and disadvantages of participating in a clinical trial?
It is fair to say that without clinical trials, the development of prostate cancer treatments would be severely limited.
Indeed it is well attested that the majority of the population do approve of the use of clinical trials to test and develop new cancer treatments. However, few people are willing to undergo a clinical trial themselves.
In the United Kingdom for example, only 5% of cancer patients are willing to be treated within the context of a clinical trial, and for prostate cancer patients the figure is unfortunately considerably lower than this.
- Benefits of participation
Immediate benefits (i.e. to the trial participants)
As a general overview, patients benefit from participating within a clinical trial, almost regardless of what the particular trial entails.
A number of studies have established this, having looked at the quality of care received, and the survival of patients who have been treated within the context of a randomized trial.
Patients tend to recieve both a better quality of care during the trial period, and a longer period of survival when compared to patients who have not participated within such a trial.
There could be numerous reasons for this. A particular factor being that hospitals that participate within the trial process, do as a general rule, have a very high standard of clinical practice.
In addition, patients within the trail process tend to be monitored much more closely, and develop a closer relationship with the clinical staff, than patients who are treated in a more routine management programme, outside of a trial setting
Longer Term Benefits (i.e. to mankind)
Clinical trials are obviously formulated following considerable due care and consideration. They aim to address some of the more difficult and urgent medical issues that present for example in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is a particularly challenging area of medicine, and participation in clinical trials can provide valuable learning for future treatment.
- Disadvantages of Participation
Risk to participants
It is essential to note that just as no cancer treatment is entirely without risk, so too can no clinical trial be considered to be risk free.
Many of the risks will consist of standard side effects and complications of cancer treatments, coupled with the risks posed by new treatments.
Some of these latter risks ay only come to attention during the course of the trial.
It is crucial that participants are made as aware as much as possible of the potential risks before they agree to participate. Patients must always be kept informed of any new learning regarding potential hazards and risks.
A useful guiding principle is that a doctor should not enter a patient into a clinical trial if he would not be prepared to do so himself, or allow a member of his family to participate.
The trail process is very much collaboration between doctor and patient, so open honest communication is essential.
This is a complex and highly sensitive subject that has only been touched upon here. Do read on and obtain more information to inform your decision making process
by: Eamon Greville
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