Participation in clinical trials is completely voluntary. Here are a few web sites you can visit to get more information:

Clinical Studies...What Are They?

What is a Clinical Trial?

A clinical is a study conducted by research physicians to evaluate new and experimental treatment options.  Your physician may recommend that you take part in a clinical trial.

There are may different types of cancer clinical trials, including prevention trials, early detection trials and quality of life studies.  If you decide to take part in a clinical trial, you may benefit from a new drug, procedure or symptom control method.

Phase 1 Trials

The first step of a clinical trial involves a small number of people who help evaluate how a new drug should be administered.

Phase 2 Trials

After the information is gathered from the first phase, researchers generate information about the safety and benefits of the drug.  This study usually focuses on a specific cancer.

Phase 3 Trials

This phase compares a new drug, a combination of drugs or a procedure with the current standard.  A large number of people are involved in this phase.

To participate in a clinical trial, a patient must have specific characteristics that have been identified by the researcher. These characteristics are called eligibility criteria.  This criteria also helps to insure the safety of the participants by protecting them from known risks.  All participants in a clinical trial must give their informed consent.  All patient information is confidential.  Taking part in a clinical trial is completely voluntary and can be done at any stage of prostate cancer.  Being a clinical study participant does not prevent you from getting any other medical care that you may need.  You are always free to leave a clinical trial at any time.  It is important for you to check with your insurance company prior to your commitment to the study to find out what costs they will cover.

Your participation in a clinical trial may not only help you directly, but it may also help other men with prostate cancer.

Clinical Studies ... Are They Right For You?

Clinical studies are a means of developing new treatments and medications for many diseases and conditions. There are strict rules for clinical trials and they are monitored by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Patients and healthy volunteers must meet certain requirements to participate. These requirements are different for each study.