Clinical trials and research
If you are thinking about joining a clinical trial or just want to know more about cancer research, this information answers many key questions. Cancer research has led to great advances in cancer care and continues to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.
Print these questions
How the trial or study will affect you
- What are my chances of benefiting from this research?
- What are the potential risks to me?
- Will I experience any side effects? How will they be treated?
- Are there any extra tests involved?
- Will I need to take time off work? Will my day-to-day life be affected?
- Can I be paid back for any out-of-pocket expenses?
- Can I still participate if I need to travel interstate or overseas?
- If I join this study, will I miss out on other treatment opportunities?
- How much time do I have to think about whether to join this trial? If I take time to decide, will delaying the treatment affect how well it works?
- Who will oversee my cancer care while I’m participating?
- Can I still have other medicines or complementary therapies?
About the trial or study
- Can you go through the participant information with me?
- Can I have the participant information in a different language?
- What is being tested in the trial or study and why?
- How many other people will be involved in this research?
- How long does the research last? How long do I need to be involved?
- Will the trial use a placebo?
- If it is a randomised controlled trial, will I have the option to switch treatment arms if the cancer advances or I have bad side effects?
- Who is funding the trial? Has it been approved by an ethics committee?
- Who can I contact if I have a problem?
- Can I leave the trial early?
After the trial or study
- What will happen with the research results? How will I be told about them?
- Will I have follow-up care through the clinical trials team?
- If I respond to the treatment, will I still be able to get it after the trial is over?
Need to talk?
All updated content has been clinically reviewed by A/Prof Brett Hughes, Senior Staff Specialist, Medical Oncology, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and The Prince Charles Hospital, and Associate Professor, The University of Queensland, QLD. This edition is based on the previous edition which was reviewed by the following panel: A/Prof Brett Hughes (see above); Christie Allan, Clinical Trials Lead, Cancer Council Victoria, VIC; Dawn Bedwell, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Queensland, QLD; Joanne Benhamu, Senior Research Nurse, Team Lead, Lung, Colorectal and Palliative Care Trials, Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Louise Dillon, Consumer; Sabina Jelinek, Clinical Nurse Research, St John of God Murdoch Hospital, WA; Chloe Jennett, Program Coodinator, Cancer Research, Cancer Council NSW; Carmel McCarthy, Consumer; Alison Richards, Research Unit Manager, Medical Oncology Clinical Trials Unit, Flinders Medical Centre, SA; Prof Jane Ussher, Translational Health Research Institute (THRI), School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, NSW; Prof Janette Vardy, Medical Oncologist, Concord Cancer Centre, and Professor of Cancer Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.