DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Our daughter was recently diagnosed with cancer. She's interested in participating in a clinical trial but doesn't really know what that means or how to get involved. Can you help?

ANSWER: A cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming and often comes with a long list of decisions to make.

Many people are surprised to learn that clinical trials aren't just for people who have run out of standard treatment options, but are an important part of cancer care at every stage and most aspects of diagnosis and treatment. They help physicians study new and better ways to diagnose, treat and improve the quality of life for people. They also give patients access to promising treatments that they might not otherwise receive.

What happens in a cancer clinical trial?

During a clinical trial, participants may receive specific interventions or potentially the standard treatment. Researchers measure how safe and effective the interventions are and usually compare them to standard treatments. These may include:

--New cancer drugs or drug combinations.

--New medical procedures or devices.

--New surgical techniques.

--New ways to use existing treatments.

--Lifestyle or behavioral approaches.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that joining a trial means you might not receive treatment or be given a placebo. Most clinical trials compare a new treatment with the current standard of care.

Who's eligible for a trial?

Your daughter’s care team is the best starting point. Feel free to ask if she is a candidate for any trial. Physicians at Mayo Clinic routinely review whether patients qualify for available trials. If there's a study that's potentially right for your daughter, your team can connect her with research coordinators and help navigate eligibility, consent, scheduling and next steps.

How do people find and sign up for trials?

Patients can find out about trials in several ways:

--Direct referral from their care team (medical oncologist, surgical oncologist, radiation oncologist, radiologist to name a few).

--Search tools, such as the Mayo Clinic clinical trials website and ClinicalTrials.gov.

--Trial navigators or research coordinators who help determine eligibility and guide enrollment.

When a clinician identifies that a patient may be a good candidate for a study, they review the study purpose, what participation involves, potential risks and benefits, and available alternatives. Patients can take time to decide whether to participate and may bring family members or caregivers into these conversations.

Clinic Trials Beyond Walls: Expanding who can participate

Participating in a clinical trial typically has meant frequent trips to a major medical center, which is something that can be difficult for people balancing work, caregiving responsibilities, transportation needs or facing financial strain.

Mayo Clinic's Cancer Trials Beyond Walls is an initiative that brings elements of cancer clinical trials closer to home, such as lab draws, remote patient monitoring and virtual visits. This brings the benefits of research directly to patients' doorsteps and makes trial participation more manageable for families.

Mayo Clinic's decentralized research initiative uses telehealth, remote monitoring, mobile phlebotomy and home-based services so patients can complete parts of a clinical trial without traveling.

The care of these patients being managed at home, with the support of a dedicated clinical team, may include vital sign monitoring, symptom reporting, medication administration or follow-up assessments.

Why do clinical trials matter so much?

Every cancer therapy available today exists because patients such as your daughter volunteered to participate. Volunteering for trials is a crucial way to advance medical treatment.

Joining a trial may give your daughter access to cutting-edge care and contribute to future breakthroughs.

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Judy Boughey, M.D., Surgical Oncology, Mayo Clinic in Rochester

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