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| Q: |
What is a clinical cancer trial or clinical research?
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| A: |
Clinical cancer trials are research studies in which people help doctors find ways to improve health and cancer care. Each study tries to find better ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat cancer. |
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| Q: |
How do I take part in a clinical trial?
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| A: |
Each study has a strict set of guidelines, called eligibility criteria, that help the investigator choose who is a good candidate for a study. To make sure that a treatment works, researchers want study participants to be alike in key ways. Examples of eligibility criteria for a treatment trial might be a particular type and stage of cancer, age, gender, or if previous treatment has been given. To find out if you are eligible for a particular study, talk to your doctor or the research staff in charge of enrolling patients for the study. |
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| Q: |
Why would I want to take part in a clinical trial?
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| A: |
If you choose to take part in a research study you may receive the following benefits:
Health care devised by leading physicians in the field of cancer research.
Possibly have access to new drugs and interventions before they are widely available.
Receive close monitoring of your health care and any side effects.
If the approach being studied is found to be helpful, you may be among the first to benefit.
Have an opportunity to make a valuable contribution to cancer research. |
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| Q: |
How long does each treatment take?
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| A: |
The radiation therapists, who are under the direction of your radiation oncologist, will be taking all the time necessary to ensure that you are accurately positioned for your treatment The actual time when the radiation is "on" is generally less than a minute for each treatment field. Most of the time, patients are in and out of the department in less than 30 minutes. The staff arrange the schedules to ensure that appointments are kept on time, but on some days, there may be delays because of unforeseen circumstances or emergencies. |
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| Q: |
What is the difference between chemotherapy and radiation therapy?
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| A: |
Chemotherapy is medication that is given by injections or pills for cancer. This type of treatment is circulated throughout the entire body and is prescribed by a medical oncologist. Radiation therapy is produced by a linear accelerator or a radioactive source, and is prescribed by a radiation oncologist. The radiation beams are focused on a very specific area of the body. |
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| Q: |
Can I be out in the sun following radiation treatment?
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| A: |
As a general rule, the area that is being treated with radiation, should NOT be exposed to direct sunlight |
