Clinical trials are vital for finding new ways to treat diseases like breast cancer. They’re how we learn about new medicines and treatments, and how we figure out better ways to find and diagnose illnesses early. They also help us learn how to lower the risk of getting sick in the first place.
Think of clinical trials as tests that show researchers what works and what doesn’t in real people. These tests also help doctors and scientists decide if the bad side effects of a new treatment are worth it compared to how much it helps. For example, a new medicine might shrink tumors really well, but it might also make people feel very sick. Clinical trials help us understand this balance.
How clinical trials work
Before a clinical trial starts, researchers can’t know for sure what will happen. This uncertainty can make people nervous about joining a trial. While there’s a small chance that something unexpected could happen, there are many rules and safety measures to protect the people in the study. It’s also true that many lives have been saved and improved because people volunteered for trials that led to better treatments.4 It’s because of these volunteers that we have many of the effective medicines we use today.
Should I join a clinical trial?
Deciding to join a clinical trial is a big decision and should be made with your doctor. You need to think about the possible good things that could happen versus the possible risks, and what’s best for your own health. It’s important to talk openly with your medical team to understand everything about the trial before you make a choice.
Clinical trials are just one part of a much longer process. Before a new medicine is even tested in people, it goes through a lot of testing in labs. Scientists first have to discover the medicine, clean it up, and test it in labs and sometimes in animals. This is called preclinical testing. The American Cancer Society says that about 1,000 possible medicines are tested in this way before just one is ready for human testing. It usually takes at least six years, and sometimes much longer, of lab research before a new breast cancer treatment is even considered for a clinical trial.
Are clinical trials helpful for Black women?
This whole process is especially important when we think about differences in health. For example, Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, even when they’re diagnosed at the same stage. There are many reasons for this, but one is that Black women are often underrepresented in clinical trials. It’s really important for more Black women to participate in these trials so that new treatments are proven to work well for them too. It also helps researchers learn more about why these health differences exist and find better ways to help everyone. By joining these studies, Black women can not only potentially benefit from new treatments but also help future generations. Increasing awareness and making it easier for Black women to join clinical trials is a key step towards making healthcare fairer for everyone.
