Who Can Participate In a Breast Cancer Clinical Trial?
Every clinical trial is designed to meet a specific set of research criteria. Each study enrolls patients with certain conditions and symptoms. If you fit the guidelines for a trial, you may be able to participate. In some instances, you may be required to undergo certain tests to confirm your acceptance.
What Is it Like To Participate in a Breast Cancer Clinical Trial?
All patients face a new world of medical terms and procedures. Fears and myths of "experimentation" or "being a guinea pig" are common concerns of patients who are thinking about participating in a clinical trial.
Even though there are always going to be fears of the unknown, understanding what is involved in a clinical trial before agreeing to participate can relieve some of your anxieties. Here's some information that may help ease your concerns:
The personal information gathered about you during the clinical trial will remain confidential and will not be reported with your name attached.
If at any time during the study your physician feels it is in your best interest to quit, you will be free to do so. This will not in any way affect your future treatment.
Clinical trial participants typically receive their care in the same places that the standard treatments are given - in clinics or physician's offices.
Clinical trial participants will be watched closely, and data on their case will be carefully recorded and reviewed.
Important Questions to Ask Before Taking Part in a Breast Cancer Clinical Trial
If you are thinking about taking part in a clinical trial, find out as much as possible about the study before you decide to participate. Here are some important questions to ask:
What is the purpose of the clinical trial?
What kinds of tests and treatments does the clinical trial involve? How are these tests given?
What is likely to happen in my case with, or without, this new research treatment? (Are there standard treatment options for my case, and how does the study compare with them?)
How could the clinical trial affect my daily life?
What side effects can I expect from the clinical trial? (Note: There can also be side effects from standard treatments and from the disease itself.)
How long will the clinical trial last?
Will the clinical trial require extra time on my part?
Will I have to be hospitalized? If so, how often and for how long?
If I agree to withdraw from the clinical trial, will my care be affected? Will I need to change physicians?
Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the U.S. Symptoms include a lump in the breast or underarm area, nipple pain, change in breast size or shape, an inverted nipple, nipple discharge, and breast skin changes. Treatment may involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biological therapy, hormone therapy, or surgery.
The breast generally refers to the chest, however, more specifically, to the mammary gland. The mammary gland is a milk producing gland comprised largely of fat. Within the mammary gland is a complex network of branching ducts. The ducts exit from sac-like structures called lobules, which can produce milk in females. The darkened area around the nipple is called the areola. Common medical concerns in regard to the breast include breast lumps, breast cysts, breast cancer, and breast infections.
Male breast cancer accounts for 1% of all breast cancers, and most cases are found in men between the ages of 60 and 70. A man's risk of developing breast cancer is one in 1,000. Signs and symptoms include a firm mass located below the nipple and skin changes around the nipple, including puckering, redness or scaling, retraction and ulceration of the nipple. Treatment depends upon staging and the health of the patient.
Inflammatory breast cancer is an accelerated form of breast cancer that is not usually detected by mammogram or ultrasound. Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include pain in the breast, skin change in the breast area, bruise on the breast,sudden swelling of the breast, nipple retraction or discharge, and swelling of the lymph nodes.
Lymphedema is a common chronic, debilitating condition in which excess fluid called lymph collects in tissues and causes swelling in them. It is common after a mastectomy, lumpectomy or breast cancer surgery and radiation therapy.
Women's health is an important topic area to guide a woman through the stages of her life, as well as knowing the conditions and diseases that may occur. Educating yourself so that the transitions into different phases of life is key to a healthy, happy, and productive life.
Lifestyle changes, a healthy antioxidant-rich diet, exercise, and weight reduction can help reduce a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. It's important to be aware of how risk factors such as family history, lifestyle factors, breast conditions, radiation therapy, and hormonal factors may influence your chances of developing breast cancer. Mammography and breast self-examinations are crucial steps in breast cancer prevention.
Cancer RSS
Healthy Living Tips
This site complies with the