Should I Participate In a Mesothelioma Clinical Trial?
Choosing to take part in a clinical trial is not necessarily an easy decision. There are many factors that must be considered even if you meet the eligibility requirements, such as costs for medications, tests or other procedures performed during the study, as well as costs for travel if the trial is not being conducted locally. Potential health risks and family support may also factor into your decision.
Having the option to take part in a clinical trial is vital for mesothelioma patients, as currently there is no cure for this rare cancer. The treatment options are limited and depend on the type and progression of the disease. And because most mesothelioma patients live between four and 18 months on average, continuous research and clinical trials are critical for advancements in fighting the cancer.
Patients who choose to participate in these clinical trials have access to new medications and therapies that may prolong their survival while improving their quality of life. For some mesothelioma patients, the treatments offered in clinical trials may offer hope when other options have failed.
If you would like more information about mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases, please complete the form on this page to receive a free informational packet from the Mesothelioma Center.
View a mesothelioma clinical trial eligibility requirement.
What are Some Benefits of Clinical Trials?
Because there is no cure for mesothelioma, scientists and clinicians are continually researching new therapies to provide patients with life-extending treatments and ways to improve their quality of life. Clinical trials are particularly of interest to patients who have not responded to conventional therapies and may have no other treatment options available.
This was the case in the 2002 clinical trial of the chemotherapy drugs Alimta (pemetrexed) and cisplatin used in combination to treat mesothelioma. The author of the research study, Nicholas J. Vogelzang, M.D., reported that the study yielded 25 to 30 percent improvement in survival for patients who received both pemetrexed and cisplatin. Now, almost a decade later, the use of the two drugs together is a standard treatment option for all mesothelioma patients.
Fast Fact: Most mesothelioma clinical trials focus on patients with pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma, with pleural making up about 75 percent of these trials.
Learn how clinical trials are performedView active clinical trials for mesothelioma patients
What concerns should I have?
Potential health risks
When a mesothelioma patient participates in a clinical trial, there are always certain risks associated with the study. For example, the trial may result in Ineffective treatment that achieves no benefit or causes further harm to your health. Furthermore, you could end up experiencing unexpected side effects.
Fast Fact: Placebos are almost never used in clinical trials for cancer treatments.
Costs
There are typically two types of costs associated with a clinical trial: research costs and patient care costs. Patient costs may include two subsets of expenses, which are routine care costs and extra care costs. Routine care involves doctor and hospital visits or stays. This portion is often paid by a health insurance company. Extra costs include additional tests required for the trial.
Some states require health insurance companies to pay for routine medical care given in a clinical trial. This partial coverage may provide a little relief for mesothelioma patients considering participation in a clinical trial. However, this only applies for routine medical care. Not all clinical trials fall under this umbrella.
To see if your state requires your insurance company to pay for routine medical care, click here.
What factors determine if my insurance will pay for clinical trial costs?
- Whether or not they classify the study as "experimental" or more of a treatment
- The duration of the study
- Risks involved with the specific trial
Speak with the sponsor of the clinical trial to understand specifically what they are paying for and what they are not paying for, and speak with your insurance company to determine what they will cover.
Find out more about how to cover the costs of clinical trials.
What important questions should I ask?
Prior to enrolling in a clinical trial, it is important for a mesothelioma patient to fully understand the details and purpose of the trial. Write down or print out the following questions to ask your doctor before making your final decision to participate in a mesothelioma clinical trial:
- What is the specific goal of this clinical trial?
- Why do you believe this new treatment will be effective for me?
- Are there other treatment options I should consider first?
- What are the risks in participating in this trial?
- What are the possible side effects?
- What are the costs?
- Is there any potential compensation for participation?
- If I have questions about the trial, who do I contact?
- What role, if any, will my family have in my participation in this clinical trial?
- Can I leave the trial at any point?
- How will this trial affect my prognosis?
- How soon can I expect these treatments to begin working?
- How and when will I know if the treatment is working properly?
- Will I have to change my daily activities to participate in this trial?
- What tests and treatments will I undergo?
- Where is the trial being conducted?
- How much time should I expect to commit to the trial?
- What type of long-term follow-up care can I expect as a participant of this study?
- Can I talk with others who have participated in this trial to hear about their experiences?
- Has this treatment been tested in other trials before? If so, what were the outcomes?
The responses may greatly influence your decision about whether or not to participate in that trial. Every clinical trial will be different and therefore the questions that you should ask may also be different and should be specified to the details of that trial.
How can I get involved in a mesothelioma clinical study?
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and would like find out more about the process of a clinical trial, call (800) 615-2270 to speak with a compassionate Patient Advocate from the Mesothelioma Center. You will be provided with the most up-to-date information about mesothelioma treatment options as well as where the closest clinical studies are being performed.
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Last Modified Friday, April 27th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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