As with any medical intervention, participation in a clinical trial is based on a benefit/risk balance.

Clinical trials are subject to a strong regulation and are designed to be the safest for patients. In addition, before joining a clinical trial, the patient receives, from his referring oncologist and the investigating physician, all the information relating to the trial and then gives his free and informed consent. He can also withdraw from the trial at any time.

Participating in a clinical trial has potential benefits, individual or collective, in improving cancer management and the patient journey.

On an individual basis, clinical trials allow patients to access new innovative treatments which are not yet available on the market, several years before they are marketed. This may provide an additional treatment option for patients who have not responded to available treatments or who have no other treatment options available. In addition, by integrating a clinical trial, the patient sees followed by a specialized research team who has in-depth expertise on his pathology. He will then be able to have access to support, care and personalized advice. Integrating a clinical trial thus allows the patient to: become an actor in your treatment and research. In addition, the aim of a clinical trial is to propose an experimental treatment that provides an improvement on the existing one. This improvement can take various forms: better efficiency, reduction of side effects or even better quality of life.

More generally, participating in a clinical trial can contribute toadvancement of medical research and help all new patients by allowing them to access increasingly effective and specific treatments. All the treatments available today have previously gone through clinical trial phases.

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Is the patient entering a clinical trial paid?

Unlike trials that are open to healthy volunteers, oncology patients who join a clinical trial are not paid. However, participation in the study is gratis for the patient and the medical expenses (examinations, care, etc.) are fully covered by the sponsor of the trial. In addition, the potential costs involved in the clinical trial such as transport costs are, in many cases, also covered.

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Sources: LEEM