Benefits and Risks of Clinical Trials

Below are some general benefits and risks for patients who may choose to participate in a clinical trial. Specific trials may also have other benefits and risks. Make sure you understand all potential benefits and risks before participating in a clinical trial.

What are the benefits?

• Participants in a Phase 2 trial may be among the first to benefit if the new drug or treatment has an effect on the cancer. In a Phase 3 trial, if the new treatment is proven to work better than the standard treatment, the participant may be among the first to benefit.
• Even if the trial is randomized (such as a Phase 3 trial), the participant will receive at a minimum the best standard treatment regardless of their assigned group, whether the experimental treatment group or the control group.

What are the risks?

• When a Phase 2 trial begins, it is not yet known if the drug or treatment being tested works against the specific brain tumor.
• A participant might receive the new treatment, which might not be better than (or even as good as) the standard treatment. Like standard treatments, new treatments may not work for every participant.
• A participant might receive the standard treatment, which might be found to be less effective than the new treatment.
• Unpredictable side effects can also occur. These side effects might be worse than those of the standard treatment.