Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that test new treatments to see how well they work. At the University of Vermont Cancer Center, patients who choose to participate in a trial receive some of the most advanced cancer treatment available, sometimes years before it’s available at other hospitals.
University of Vermont Cancer Center Clinical TrialsClinical Trials
Several faculty in the Division are Principle Investigators for clinical trials administered by the University of Vermont Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office (UVMCC CTO). At the UVMCC, we encourage our patients from all races, genders, ages, and backgrounds to consider participating in a clinical trial from the start of their care. If you join a UVMCC clinical trial, you will be cared for by experienced healthcare providers and researchers.
Safety in Clinical Trials
If you join a UVMCC clinical trial, you will be cared for by experienced healthcare providers and researchers. It is possible the treatment in a clinical trial may not work, it may cause unwarranted side effects. Clinical trial participation may help other people, but not you. Whatever the outcome, clinical trials are designed to keep you safe. Researchers must follow strict rules, and every clinical trial is approved and monitored by an institutional review board and government agencies that ensure your safety. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) office at UVM ensures the risks are as low as possible and that there are more benefits than risks. Its job is to ensure that each clinical trial is ethical and protects our patient’s rights.
Is participation in a clinical trial right for you?
Considering participating in a clinical trial but not quite sure whether it's right for you? Before you decide, consider the following:
Clinical Trials
The Basics
Almost every cancer treatment offered to patients today has come about because of a clinical trial.
The goals of individual clinical trials vary. They range from looking at new, potentially curative therapies to ones with fewer side effects.
Patients who enroll in a clinical trial at UVMCC receive a very high level of care and treatment from a compassionate and experienced staff recognized for their focus on safety and care.
A clinical trial may take more time for treatment than normal care. There can be more visits, phone calls, treatments, a hospital stay, or more complicated treatments.
There are no additional out-of-pocket costs to patients for treatments being studied as part of a trial.
The vast majority of clinical trials do not use a placebo. For clinical trials that do, patients will be fully informed before they begin the trial.