Houston, TX 2/12/2009 4:37:50 AM
Finding Clinical Trials for Mesothelioma
MesotheliomaWeb.org Offers Listings for Current Clinical Trials
For mesothelioma patients who are interested in getting into a clinical trial for a new treatment, but don't have an strong understanding of how it all works, MesotheliomaWeb.org has a “Clinical Trials” section. The site also links to ongoing clinical trials that accept mesothelioma patients.
The section explains the basics of clinical trials – what they are and the purpose behind them. Those interested in participating in a trial are advised to first consult with their doctors to decide whether it is right for them.
There are benefits and risks associated with any clinical trial, and it is good for patients to be aware of what they are. Benefits may include receiving care at highly regarded facilities from expert cancer physicians and having access to a new a drug not yet available to the public. One risk is that travel may be required to the location of the trial so people who are not fit to travel should not do so. Another is that the drug from the clinical trial may not treat the disease as well as the “standard” forms of treatment.
Not all studies are the same and eligibility guidelines for participants vary by trial. Some accept patients who have already received other forms of treatment while other clinical trials only accept those who have never received treatment.
Some clinical trials compare a new drug to the drug that is currently considered the “standard”. The patient will not be told which one they get until the trial is over. Unlike some other types of studies, these generally do not involve any placebo pills.
Clinical trials are divided into three phases. Phase I trials involves testing how new treatments should be administered. Phase II trials give early information about whether the new treatment is effective and discusses the safety and benefits of the treatment. In Phase III, some patients are given the new treatment while others are given the standard treatment, and the effectiveness of each are compared.
Patients with Medicare should be aware of what costs will and will not be covered. Clinical trials are only covered if the trial is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the NCI-Designated Cancer Centers, the NCI-Sponsored Clinical Trials Cooperative Groups or other Federal agencies that fund cancer research. Trials that have goals of diagnosing or treating cancer are covered, but those aimed at prevention of cancer are not.
MesotheliomaWeb.org also has a glossary and a Q&A section for clinical trials and a regularly updated section that shows what clinical trials currently going on.
For more information, you can request a free informational packet from its website. To speak with a Mesothelioma Web coordinator directly, call 1-877-367-6376.
About Mesothelioma Web: MesotheliomaWeb.org is a website dedicated to helping those diagnosed with mesothelioma. It has an expert team that researches new treatment programs and news articles and maintains contact with doctors who specialize in treating the disease.
