By Hilary Wright
- What are the possible short-term benefits?
- What are the possible long-term benefits?
- What are the short-term risks, such as side
effects?
- What are the possible long-term risks?
- What other options do people with my risk of
cancer or type of
cancer have?
- How do the possible risks and benefits of this
trial compare with
those options?
- What kinds of therapies, procedures and/or
tests will I have during
the trial?
- Will they hurt, and if so, for how long?
- How do the tests in the study compare with
those I would have
outside of the trial?
- Will I be able to take my regular medications
while in the clinical
trial?
- Where will I have my medical care?
- Who will be in charge of my care?
- How could being in this study affect my daily
life?
- Can I talk to other people in the study?
- Will I have to pay for any part of the trial
such as tests or the study
drug?
- If so, what will the charges likely be?
- What is my health insurance likely to cover?
- Who can help answer any questions from my
insurance company or
health plan?
- Will there be any travel or child care costs
that I need to consider
while I am in the trial?
Also, you and your loved one should consider
utilizing some of these tips when asking your doctor
about cancer clinical trials:
- Make sure that you accompany your loved one on
their visits to the
doctor or to the research team.
- Plan what to ask ahead of time.
- Don’t hesitate to ask new questions that you may
think of while
you’re there.
- Write down questions in advance, to ensure
remembering to ask
them all.
- Write down the answers, so that you and your loved
one can
review them whenever needed.
- Consider bringing a tape recorder to make a taped
record of what's
said (even if you write down answers).
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