Are you or someone you love recently diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer? Are looking to participate in a clinical trial? The National Cancer Institute may be able to help. Check out their "10 Step Guide" ... below is the introduction through step 2 ... for the whole guide, visit the NCI wesbite at http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/education/treatment-trial-guide/page1/AllPages Introduction
This guide will help you look for a cancer treatment clinical trial. It does not provide medical advice and should not be used in place of advice from your doctor or other members of your health care team. Your health care team and your loved ones, if you wish, can assist you in deciding whether or not a clinical trial is right for you. The decision to take part in a clinical trial is yours alone to make.
This guide will help you to:
A Word About Timing:
Some treatment trials will not accept people who have already been treated for their cancer. The researchers conducting these trials are hoping to find improved cancer treatments for people with newly diagnosed disease.
Other treatment trials are looking for people who have already been treated for their cancer.
This guide will help you to:
- Gather the information you need to begin your search for a clinical trial.
- Identify Web sites that have lists of open clinical trials. Open trials are those that are accepting eligible people who wish to participate.
- Learn about clinical trials for your type and stage of cancer.
- Ask questions that will help you decide whether or not to take part in a trial.
| Helpful Tip: This guide contains links to other Web pages and sites. Links to pages and sites external to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are included for convenience and informational purposes only. Including these links cannot be taken as an endorsement by NCI of the Web pages and sites. See the NCI Web site’s Disclaimer of Endorsement and Liability policy. |
A Word About Timing:
Some treatment trials will not accept people who have already been treated for their cancer. The researchers conducting these trials are hoping to find improved cancer treatments for people with newly diagnosed disease.
- If you have just found out that you have cancer, the time to think about joining a trial is before you have any treatment. Talk with your doctor about how quickly you need to make a treatment decision.
Other treatment trials are looking for people who have already been treated for their cancer.
- If you have already had one or more forms of cancer treatment and are looking for a new treatment option, there are still clinical trials for you to think about.
Before You Start Your Search: Steps 1-3
This section will help you to:
This section will help you to:
- Understand clinical trials better.
- Find clinical trials that may be a good option for you.
Step 1: Understand Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that involve people. They are the final step in a long process that begins with laboratory research and testing in animals. Many treatments used today are the result of past clinical trials.
If you would like to learn more about clinical trials, or review your understanding of them before going further, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies can help you understand what cancer clinical trials are, why they are important, and how they work.
Clinical trials are research studies that involve people. They are the final step in a long process that begins with laboratory research and testing in animals. Many treatments used today are the result of past clinical trials.
If you would like to learn more about clinical trials, or review your understanding of them before going further, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies can help you understand what cancer clinical trials are, why they are important, and how they work.
Step 2: Talk With Your Doctor
When thinking about clinical trials, your best starting point is your doctor or another member of your health care team.
Usually, it is a doctor who may know about a clinical trial, or search for one, that could be a good option for you and your type of cancer. He or she can provide information and answer questions while you think about joining a clinical trial.
In some cases, your doctor may not be taking part in clinical trials or may not be very familiar with them. If your doctor doesn’t have information to give you about clinical trials, you may want to get a second opinion about your treatment options and about participating in a clinical trial.
To learn more ... http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/education/treatment-trial-guide/page1/AllPages
When thinking about clinical trials, your best starting point is your doctor or another member of your health care team.
Usually, it is a doctor who may know about a clinical trial, or search for one, that could be a good option for you and your type of cancer. He or she can provide information and answer questions while you think about joining a clinical trial.
In some cases, your doctor may not be taking part in clinical trials or may not be very familiar with them. If your doctor doesn’t have information to give you about clinical trials, you may want to get a second opinion about your treatment options and about participating in a clinical trial.
To learn more ... http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/education/treatment-trial-guide/page1/AllPages
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