How does a clinical trial work? What is involved in a clinical trial from a patient perspective?
Clinical trial participants meet with their physician on a routine basis and undergo scans, blood work, other tests and treatment, following the specific action plan (also called a protocol) for the clinical trial. The protocol has been reviewed and approved for the patient’s safety. This routine is similar to standard cancer care, but the trial will follow a protocol designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment.
Depending on the clinical trial, follow-up appointments can continue throughout the patient’s lifetime to monitor the disease.
