Clinical Trials
Studies of new treatments in patients are known as clinical trials. A clinical trial is only done when there is some reason to believe that the treatment being studied may be of value to the patient. The main questions the researchers want to answer are:
- Does this treatment work?
- Does it work better than the one we're now using?
- What side effects does it cause?
- Do the benefits outweigh the risks?
- Which patients are most likely to find this treatment helpful?
During your course of treatment, your doctor may suggest that you look into a clinical trial. This does not mean that you are being asked to be a human guinea pig. Nor does it mean that your case is hopeless. However, there are some risks. No one knows in advance if the treatment will work or exactly what side effects will occur. That's what the study is designed to find out. Keep in mind that standard treatments, too, can have side effects.