Clinical trials are extremely important scientific studies required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to assess new medical treatments, including treatments for mesothelioma. There can be benefits for people with mesothelioma to participate in a clinical trial.

Read about pros and cons of clinical trial participation here:

Access to New Treatments

Patients gain access to a treatment that is not otherwise available. The treatment may be better than what is already approved for the condition. Treatments can include new medications, medication combinations, stem cell treatments, or surgeries. New biological approaches, such as reducing tumor growth or preventing tumors from growing, are consistently under study for mesothelioma. Treatments may also focus on improving the mesothelioma patient’s general care and quality of life. Before participation, the study will be thoroughly explained  in an “Informed Consent” document, and by the researchers conducting the study.

Access to Expert Medical Care

By participating in a clinical trial, mesothelioma patients can receive access to medical expert advice and treatment at a leading healthcare facility.

Free Treatment or Reduced Costs

Treatments in clinical trials are typically free, or the trial treatments may be available at reduced costs. Sometimes continued treatment is free after the trial ends or in the study’s extension phase. The costs or reduced costs are described in the “Informed Consent” document but should be discussed fully with the study’s organizers before the trial begins.

Help Advance Science, Help Others

Mesothelioma clinical trial participants help advance science and help other people with the disease. They may help make a new treatment available, but could also improve the general understanding of the disease. People with mesothelioma certainly participate in trials and help advance science, but healthy people are sometimes also eligible to help test out new treatments in the earlier stages of clinical trials.

Although current treatments have reduced mesothelioma deaths and improved survival, better treatments are still greatly needed. I

Clinical trials are a necessary and required mechanism for testing and approving new treatments before the treatments can be made available for people who need them. Clinical trials are essential for mesothelioma research, treatment and hope for the future.

Other Clinical Trial Benefits

Sometimes other incentives are provided for participation in clinical trials. Participants may receive particular financial reimbursement or they may get additional counseling or educational materials. Incentives are detailed in the  “Informed Consent” document for review before the trial begins.

Participation Risks

A risk could be that the treatment is not better than what is already available.  The trail treatment can have side effects, though the side effects are carefully monitored by researchers throughout clinical trials. The safety of a treatment is thoroughly tested in pre-clinical studies before the treatment is used in humans.

It is also possible that, instead of receiving the treatment, you will be placed in the comparison arm of a clinical trial (a comparator group) and  receive a standard treatment instead of the study treatment. Placebos are typically not used in cancer clinical trials, unless it has been determined that the individuals in the placebo group will not receive substantially worse care and worse outcomes than the people in the group receiving the experimental treatment. A placebo is a fake treatment, such as a sugar pill.

If a participant is assigned to the comparator group, study investigators are still required to assure that the participant receives optimal care and must help to advance the understanding and treatment of mesothelioma.

In some studies, the comparator group will receive the experimental treatment later. Participants should ask the study organizers if  the experimental treatment will eventually be made available to the comparator group.

Participation in a clinical trial could involve more trips to a medical facility and travel than usual for other treatments.

Deciding ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to Enroll

The decision to enroll in a clinical trial should involve a discussion between the person with mesothelioma and their physician. Participation in a trial will depend on many factors, including the motivation for enrolling in a trial, the mesothelioma stage, and the trials available.

Mesothelioma Research News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

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