Research
Redwood Regional Medical Group is proud to be one of the only medical practices to offer access to cancer research studies and clinical trials in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. We have several clinical trials open to enrollment in breast, lung, gastrointestinal, melanoma and other types of cancers, and new trials open frequently.
Choosing to participate in a clinical trial is an important personal decision. Here are some frequently asked questions with some basic information about the process.
What Is A Clinical Trial?
A clinical trial, sometimes called a clinical study or a research study, is a carefully controlled test to see if a new drug or treatment will be effective in treating a disease or will be of benefit to patients.
In cancer (oncology) research, clinical trials are studies of new approaches for treating, controlling, diagnosing, screening or even preventing cancer. Clinical trials allow doctors and researchers to gain information on the benefits, side effects, and possible uses of new drugs. They also study different combinations, doses and new uses of existing drugs.
Prior to a clinical trial, each new drug or treatment has undergone thorough evaluations in the laboratory and in animal and human studies to identify any harmful side effects, and it must have shown strong potential for improving cancer treatment. Every cancer treatment drug must go through the clinical research process; it is the only way a drug can be approved for use.
Can I Participate In A Clinical Trial?
All clinical trials have guidelines about who can participate. The factors that make a patient eligible to participate in a clinical trial are called "inclusion criteria." In order to be eligible for a clinical trial, patients must meet these criteria, some of which commonly include:
- Type and stage of cancer
- Age and gender
- Patient's medical history and current health status
- Previous cancer treatments
If you fit the criteria for a clinical trial, you may be eligible to participate.
Is Participation Right For Me?
Clinical trials are completely voluntary. Patients must explicitly choose to participate in a clinical trial, and they may leave a trial at any time, for any reason. Before you decide to participate or not, the research team will inform you of the risks and benefits of the trial, as well as the study visits, tests and procedures involved. You will be provided with a consent form which you must sign before entering the study.
Will I Benefit From Participating In A Clinical Trial?
Patients who volunteer may be helped by the investigational treatment they receive. Clinical trial participants receive either the standard of care (what doctors and researchers consider the most effective treatment available) or the new drug or procedure being studied.
There are several potential benefits from participating in a clinical trial:
- Participants have access to promising new treatments that are not available outside of the clinical trial setting.
- The treatment being studied may be better than the standard approach.
- Participants are followed very closely by their physician and members of the research team.
- Results from the study may help others in the future through the knowledge gained from a clinical trial.
How Are Participants Protected?
In clinical trials, patient wellbeing is always a primary concern. To help protect patients and produce sound results, research is carried out according to strict scientific and ethical principles that ensure both safety and privacy are protected.
How Much Will Treatment Cost?
Investigational drugs used in clinical trials are provided to patients at no cost. Standard drugs that would be part of your normal care for cancer treatment are billed to your insurance or Medicare. Expenses not covered by your insurance or Medicare may be billed to you per normal practice.
If you would like to know if we have a clinical trial open for your type of cancer, or you have other questions about clinical trials please talk to your physician or call our Research Department at 707-521-3830. Or, you may email us at: research@rrmginc.com
You can also find more information about cancer clinical trials at the following websites:
National Cancer Institute
http://www.cancer.gov/
National Institutes of Health
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/info/
University of California, San Francisco
http://clinical-trials.ucsf.edu:8000/trials/
Stanford University
http://cancertrials.stanford.edu/