Ensayos clínicos de cáncer

Clinical trials are research studies that explore new possibilities for finding, preventing, treating, and managing illness.

Community is at the heart of everything we do. We want to ensure that our patients have access to the very latest treatments as well as the doctors and nurses with experience in administering them. Many times, these treatment options involve being part of a clinical trial.

Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center is involved in more than 500 clinical trials. Through them we’re able to provide patients with access to treatments not yet available to the general public.

Today’s current treatments for cancer were all a part of a clinical trial at one point. Findings from clinical trials can ultimately provide new cancer treatment strategies for people in our community and beyond.

While we have a strong focus on clinical research studies for the types of cancers that most commonly affect our community—such as lung cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer—we’re conducting research in many types of cancer.

Regardless of the type of cancer, our goal is to provide the highest quality of care. We collaborate with our patients to map out a personalized treatment pathway, which may include partnering with our doctors and researchers to participate in a clinical trial.

We encourage everyone to ask their care team if a clinical trial is an available option for care.

Clinical trials are research studies that involve people. Through clinical trials, doctors find new ways to improve treatments and the quality of life for people with certain diseases.

Researchers design cancer clinical trials to test new ways to:

• Treat cancer
• Find and diagnose cancer
• Prevent cancer
• Manage symptoms of cancer and side effects from its treatment

Clinical trials are the final step in a long research process that begins in a laboratory. Before any new treatment is used with people in clinical trials, researchers work for many years to understand its effects on cancer cells in the laboratory. They also try to figure out the side effects it may cause.

Any time you or a loved one needs treatment for cancer, clinical trials are an option to think about. Trials are available for all stages of cancer. It is a myth that they are only for people who have advanced cancer that is not responding to treatment. Ask your doctor about clinical trials that might be an option for you. You can also look for trials yourself by visiting Find NCI-Supported Clinical Trials.

Every clinical trial has a person in charge, usually a doctor, who is called the principal investigator. The principal investigator prepares a plan for the trial, called a protocol. The protocol explains what will be done during the trial. It also contains information that helps the doctor decide if this treatment is right for you. The protocol includes information about:

• The reason for doing the trial
• Who can join the trial (called “eligibility criteria”)
• How many people are needed for the trial
• Any drugs or other treatments that will be given, how they will be given, the dose, and how often
• What medical tests will be done and how often
• What types of information will be collected about the people taking part

Learn about the different types of costs related to taking part in a clinical trial, and who is expected to pay for which costs.

As you think about taking part in a clinical trial, you will face the issue of how to cover the costs of care. There are two types of costs in a clinical trial: patient care costs and research costs.

Patient care costs are those costs related to treating your cancer, whether you are in a trial or receiving standard treatment. These costs are often covered by health insurance. These costs include:

• Doctor visits
• Hospital stays
• Standard cancer treatments
• Treatments to improve symptoms of cancer or side effects from treatment
• Lab tests
• X-rays and other imaging tests

Research costs are costs related to taking part in the trial. Often these costs are not covered by health insurance, but they may be covered by the trial’s sponsor. Examples of these costs include:

• The study drug
• Lab tests performed purely for research purposes
• Added x-rays and imaging tests performed solely for the trial

When taking part in a clinical trial, there may be extra doctor visits compared to standard treatment. During these visits, your doctor carefully watches for side effects and safety in the study. These extra visits can add costs for transportation, housing, food, and child care.