Patients
with uncommon cancers like myeloma should consider
being treated by, or getting a second opinion from,
a multiple myeloma specialist to learn about the
most up-to-date myeloma research and clinical trial
options. This is likely to be at a National Cancer
Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center
where new drugs with better efficacy and fewer
side effects are being designed and tested daily,
and where questions about how myeloma cells function
and reproduce are studied. |
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What are clinical
trials? |
Clinical trials are an
important way for medical research to advance as well
as to provide new treatment options for patients, especially
those who may not be good candidates for conventional
treatments. |
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Understanding
what clinical trials are, and which trials might be
appropriate for you can be very confusing. Dr.
Craig Hofmeister,
a multiple myeloma specialist at The Ohio State University
Comprehensive Cancer Center — Arthur G. James Cancer
Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute,
provides the following information about clinical trials: |
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Craig
Hofmeister, M.D. |
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Simply put,
clinical trials are research studies that involve
people. While all are encouraged to consider
participating in clinical trials, they can be
especially meaningful to those who do not respond
to standard treatments and are looking for other
options. |
Clinical
trials test new drugs, procedures, treatment
combinations, and medical devices to improve
the diagnosis of the disease, patients’ responses
to treatment, and the quality of life of patients.
Trials may also investigate methods for prevention
of certain cancers. |
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though these clinical trials are exploring “new”
treatments and procedures, they are actually the
final step in a long process that begins with lab
research and animal testing. All treatments
and drugs used today are the result of successful
clinical trials conducted in the past. |
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| We
encourage you to visit these related
links: |
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myelomabeacon.com |
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mymultiplemyeloma.com |
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The
Ohio State University Myeloma Clinic |
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Winship
Cancer Institute |
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| Why
clinical trials? |
Most
new medical innovations and drugs for cancer patients
come from the U.S., yet few U.S. patients and physicians
are involved in research. Limited funding is available
for novel cancer research and, even when funding is available,
clinical trials frequently cannot accrue enough human
participants. This directly impacts the speed with
which new cancer treatments are developed. Recruitment
for clinical trials for a less well-known disease like
myeloma are particularly challenging as most myeloma
patients are treated by community physicians, rather
than myeloma specialists who may have more knowledge
of, and access to current myeloma research. |
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Patient
participation in clinical trials is a crucial step
in the creation of new treatments. While the thought
of enrolling in a clinical trial may cause anxiety
for some, it is important to remember that human participation
is only allowed in clinical trials after a lengthy
study of the drug or procedure has been done in both
the laboratory setting and on animal models. Participation
in a clinical trial not only helps connect myeloma
patients to new, potentially life-saving treatments,
it also furthers knowledge of the disease, thereby
bringing us one step closer to finding a cure for myeloma. |
How to search
for clinical trials |
There
are many ways to find myeloma clinical trials. If you
are receiving treatment from a myeloma specialist or
at a large cancer research center, your first step
can be asking your doctor about clinical trials that
are currently recruiting participants. Your doctor
is familiar with your case and can recommend a clinical
trial that will be right for you. |
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If
you want to search on your own for clinical trial options,
there are a number of websites and organizations that
can help you find suitable trials based on your stage
of myeloma, your location, and treatments that you are
interested in trying |
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The
United States National Institutes of Health’s website, www.ClinicalTrials.gov,
allows you to search by disease or treatment and allows
you to refine your search by location, clinical phase,
enrollment status, and much more. The entry for each
trial also provides information about the purpose of
the trial, eligibility criteria, and who is sponsoring
and conducting the trial. |
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| We
encourage you to visit these related links: |
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Multiple
Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) |
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National
Cancer Institute |
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Trial
Check |
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