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Myths About Cancer Clinical Trials

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Last Friday Margo Michaels from a LIVESTRONG partner organization called ENACCT came to talk to staff about clinical trials. There are so many misconceptions about trials. Many people believe there is a chance they’ll get a placebo (a sugar pill), that trials are for people that have no other treatment options left, that they won’t get quality care on a clinical trial or that they will be considered a “guinea pig”. These myths just aren’t true. Trials are an important treatment option to consider. Every medicine available was made possible by someone that took part in a clinical trial. LIVESTRONG staff found the information super helpful and we think you will too.

For more information about clinical trials or to see what clinical trials are near you, please call LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare at 1-866-673-7205 or go online to www.livestrong.org/clinicaltrials

If you are a health care professional and want more information about clinical trials for your patients, please contact ENACCT: Phone: 301-562-2774 Email: info@enacct.org. There are two workshops coming up on January 7th and 11th that may interest you as well. Call for more information.

  • Sam

    I like the video. I can’t donate blood I imagine organ donation is out now. But the trial was something that I could do and in a little way help. There are also trials to help side effects and post treatment trials.
    All this knowledge helps. Thanks livestrong

  • Erik

    My did fought and beat lung cancer 3 times. When it came back for the forth time, he opted to participate in clinical trials on the advice of his team at MD Anderson in Houston.

    The trials definitely included medicine and all the “normal” parts of a cancer treatment protocol: blood draws, scans, pokes and prods, etc. In this case, the chemo was in pill form instead of IV.

    Unfortunately, the trials didn’t help Dad. BUT, he told me that if the doctors and other patients could benefit from his experiences in the trials, then it was all worth it.

    Mom and I enthusiastically recommend that each patient consider clinical trial participation. Work with your doctors and your care team, learn as much as you can about the different trials that may be available. Every patient will not qualify for clinical trials.

    If you are selected for a trial, continue being an active participant in your care, perhaps more so than before. Your care team will want and need your constant feedback on how the trial is working for you, and don’t be shy about providing that feedback outside of your regularily scheduled follow-up visits.

    Let me reiterate: You’re not a guinea pig or lab rat. You are still getting medical treatment, and your care team will still give you the same level of care and compassion as before. Above all, keep a positive attitude, and know that you are helping everyone. LIVESTRONG!

  • Josh Patrick

    I was involved in a clinical trial and ended up with some nice parting gifts known as chemo side effects from the trial. If I knew today what the side effects would have been, I still would have done the trial.

    If we don’t do trial’s the bar never gets pushed forward. For some, the trials do a lot of good and for some, there is no reward but without people participating there is no forward movement in cancer treatment.

  • Lesley Jacobs

    My mom received incredible care at the NIH for 7 years, on various trials. They never gave her a placebo, and the treatments and drugs she received definitely extended her life. The drugs and treatments were not available outside of clinical trials. In my opinion, this is the best use of my taxpayer dollars that I can think of. My mom was cared for by the very best doctors, and they had a great interest in her… over 7 years she built lasting connections with those health care providers.
    She travelled from the West Coast to Bethesda on a monthly basis and I know she was alive and healthy for years longer than she would have been. If and when I ever need to take advantage of something like that, I will. It made her very proud to help the physicians learn what worked and what didn’t. It was a very satisfying experience.