Trial participation: Your role as a participant
As a cancer patient participating in a clinical trial, you are a partner of the researchers; an important person with rights, obligations and needs.
Your participation in a clinical trial is always voluntary. You will be informed about the objectives, procedures, benefits and possible harm before and during a trial. You have the right to withdraw your participation at any time.
If the participants are randomly allocated to two groups, it may be that you receive the new treatment or the standard treatment used today. Think about how you will deal with this fact. If the trial is also blinded, you will not know which treatment arm you have been allocated to. Here, too, you should consider how to deal with this fact. Discuss this topic with the trial doctor if it is of central importance to you. Further points for discussion can be found in the information sheet. Also discuss your wish to participate in a trial with your confidants, family and friends.
Participation in a clinical trial is tantamount to treatment. The clarification and treatment within a clinical trial do not incur any additional or special costs for you, even if the therapy is more expensive than the standard treatment.
Reasons for participation
You can participate in a trial or research project in human research for various reasons.
The main reasons may be
Making a contribution to scientific progress
Research relies on people voluntarily providing their health data and biological material. Without them, research cannot be carried out. This is because the analysis of such health data can provide new insights into diseases or treatments. Or it may also be possible to find out that existing treatments have disadvantages and then replace them with others.
Receiving a possible direct benefit for yourself
Participants may have access to new experimental treatments that are not yet otherwise available. Good to know: A new treatment is often compared with an existing treatment. Only a randomly selected number of participants will receive the new treatment. It is therefore not guaranteed that you will receive the new treatment. What is true for all participants, however, is that they receive very close and regular support.
Requirements for participation
Each trial is aimed at patients with certain characteristics. Before a decision can be made as to whether or not you can be treated as part of a clinical trial, careful examinations must be carried out. This allows characteristics to be precisely determined.
Characteristics include
- the diagnosis and extent of the disease,
- their general state of health,
- the function of the organs (kidneys, liver, heart, lungs),
- other or previous illnesses and treatments,
- desire to have children
- Medication required.
In any case, participation in a trial will only take place with your agreement and informed consent. With a written declaration of consent, you confirm that you have understood the information about the trial. You confirm that you are taking part in the relevant trial voluntarily. However, you may always refuse to participate in the trial without any disadvantages for your further care. If you refuse, your doctor will discuss the best possible other therapies with you.
You will receive the results of the trial from your trial center in the form of a summary in layman's terms within one year of completion of the trial.
Data protection
All data collected for clinical trials in Switzerland are subject to the Swiss Data Protection Act. If you have any questions about data protection, please contact the Data Protection Officer by e-mail: data-protection@swisscancerinstitute.ch.
All data collected for clinical trials in Switzerland are subject to the Swiss Data Protection Act. All data collected for clinical trials in the EU are subject to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
How do I find out whether I can take part in a study?
Have you come across a trial on our website, the hospital's website or at Humanforschung-Schweiz.ch that could be of interest to you or someone close to you?
Please contact the responsible trial doctor or one of the participating centers and hospitals directly to clarify whether you would like to participate.
You can also ask your family doctor or oncologist to contact the trial doctor.
Are you interested in participating in a trial? We will be happy to inform you about our ongoing trials, their objectives and the associated opportunities and risks.