You have identified a clinical trial that interests you. It is important to understand the answers to these questions before agreeing to participate. The answer to these questions can be found using the information about the cancer trial you have identified. For more general information about cancer clinical trials, see About Clinical Trials. You will not find all the answers to these questions on the Australian Cancer Trials website. You can print the question prompt list and ask your cancer specialist the questions you cannot find the answers for.

Understanding my choices 

1. What treatment would I get if I wasn’t on a clinical trial?
2. Is this trial appropriate for me?
3. Are there choices other than the trial and standard treatment?
4. What makes me (or not) for this trial?

Finding out about this trial 

1. I have read about the trial on Australian Cancer Trials website but would like more information. Is there a Patient Information Statement and please would you go through it with me?
2. Can I talk to someone who’s already on the trial?

Understanding the trial’s purpose and background 

1. What is the of this trial?
2. What is already known about this treatment’s success?
3. Does the trial ask an important question in cancer treatment?

Understanding the possible benefits 

1. What benefits could I get by joining in this trial?

Understanding the possible risks 

1. What are the of taking the new treatment?
2. Could there be any long term or permanent changes from the treatment?
3. Are there any serious or rare side effects I should know about?
4. Whom can I call if something goes wrong?

The differences between going on the trial and not going on the trial 

1. If I enter the clinical trial will I need to have extra tests or go to more clinics (that is, will the trial take more of my ?). Will it me any money? How is this different from not going on the trial?
2. Where will the treatment for the trial be given? Is that somewhere different from where I would receive treatment if I wasn’t on the trial?
3. Can I have the trial treatment at my local hospital?

Understanding how the trial is being carried out 

1. Is the new treatment only available through joining the trial?
2. How has the trial being going on?
3. How many hospitals are involved? How many people will be studied?
4. How many people are in the trial already? Do you have any concerns about this trial or treatment so far?
5. Apart from the hospital staff, will other people have access to my medical records? Who?
6. What is being measured on the trial? What does this involve for me? How long will I need to keep having tests? How often?

Understanding the type of trial and ‘randomization’ 

1. What is this? What is it?
2. Is the treatment I get decided by randomization?
3. Will I know what treatment I’m getting?
4. What is the experimental arm? How many experimental arms are there in this trial?
5. Are there different   depending on which arm of the trial I am randomized to?
6. Why is ‘blinding’ important in this trial?

Understanding my right to join or not to join the trial 

1. Do I have time to think about whether to go on this trial (a day or two, or a week?)
2. If I do take some time to decide will that affect how well the treatment works?
3. If I join this trial, will I lose out on any new treatment opportunities (Eg another trial, standard treatment later?)
4. Can I still have alternative therapies if I go on this trial?

Understanding possible conflict of interest (for your cancer specialist) 

1. Are you in charge of this trial (the )? If not, what’s your role in the trial?
2. Who is paying for the trial? What is the relationship between you and the
3. Is there a payment made by the sponsor/company to the hospital or to you as my doctor if I go on this trial? Could you tell me how much money, and is this usual? How is this money spent?

Results of the trial

1. How will I be informed of the results of the trial?
2. If the new treatment is beneficial, am I able to get is after the trial?