Clinical trials are studies that take place in conjunction with a patient’s cancer treatment plan. Clinical trials are the safest and fastest ways to determine how well a new treatment or medical procedure works in humans. They are often used to help answer specific health questions and to see if a new medicine or technology can help advance cancer care. Clinical trials are also useful in comparing existing treatments and discovering new ways to deliver approved treatments to maximize results and minimize side effects.

Mosaic Life Care Cancer Care offers our patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials. It’s a unique chance to help doctors revolutionize cancer care and treatment.

Benefits of participating in a cancer clinical trial at Mosaic Life Care include access to new treatments, additional expert medical care and the ability to help others by contributing to medical research and treatment advancements.

Common Myths and Facts About Clinical Trials

Myth: Clinical trial volunteers are guinea pigs.

Fact: Every clinical trial provides you with detailed information that will help you make a decision on whether or not to participate. Informed consent means we explain the purpose of the trial, what visits and treatments are required, what kind of activities or procedures will take place, and any potential risks and benefits.

Myth: Clinical trials are dangerous because they involve new treatments and medication.

Fact: The safety of cancer clinical trial volunteers is our top priority. Before they start, all trials are reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and an Institutional Review Board (IRB) —made up of doctors, scientists and community members — whose main purpose is to decide if the trial is safe. Clinical trial volunteers are closely monitored, and the treatments they receive have gone through a rigorous testing process before being administered.

Myth: If I participate in a clinical trial, I might get a placebo or “sugar pill” instead of a real drug.

Fact: You will still receive approved cancer-care treatments throughout a clinical trial. Most cancer-related clinical trials do not use a placebo, though some do because it is the only way to tell if a new treatment works. If there is any chance that a clinical trial involves a placebo, you will be told during the informed consent process before you decide to participate.

Myth: If I participate in a clinical trial, I won’t get the same level of care that I receive with my doctor.

Fact: Patients receive excellent care in clinical trials. Trials involve very detailed procedures and often include additional tests and visits to monitor a patient’s progress.

Myth: The process for selecting volunteers seems unfair. Some people who try to participate are told that they cannot.

Fact: Every clinical trial has a list of qualifications (such as age, sex and restricted health conditions) that must be followed to participate. Each trial is different and has its own set of rules in place which are ultimately designed to protect volunteers.

Myth: Trials may include painful or unpleasant aspects.

Fact: Each clinical trial involves different activities which the doctor(s) will discuss with each participant in detail. The review board ensures that the benefits and risks are weighed and that the trial is reviewed for unnecessary harm or discomfort.

Myth: If there is a clinical trial that could help me, my doctor will tell me about it.

Fact: New trials become available all the time, and you may have an opportunity to research these options before seeing your physician. We encourage you to check the most current listing of clinical trials being offered at Mosaic Life Care by searching for “Heartland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph” on the National Institute of Health’s website.

Myth: Being in a clinical trial does not help the volunteer.

Fact: Participating in a clinical trial may improve your medical condition. You may receive extra tests, lab work and monitoring that you might not otherwise have access to. You also may have the opportunity to receive a drug that would not typically be available to you. Volunteers play a key role in helping scientists find new treatments that will allow people to live longer and have better lives.

Myth: Clinical trials cost a lot of money and aren’t covered by insurance.

Fact: Many insurance companies pay for costs that are not covered by the research sponsors. Trial subjects rarely have to pay any trial costs. Sometimes volunteers are even reimbursed for expenses they might incur, such as transportation.

Myth: If I sign up for a clinical trial, I have to commit to finishing the trial, even if I don’t want to.

Fact: You can leave the trial at any time, but should always let the trial team know first, because some medicines should not be stopped without a doctor’s supervision.

Visit the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation for more information on how you can participate in a clinical study.

Watch this video to hear a first-hand account from a clinical trial participant.

Contact Us

If you have been recently diagnosed with cancer, contact us at (816) 271-1301 to schedule an appointment in any of our four locations.