Ever Considered a Clinical Trial?

Many of the treatments we have in Canada today are available thanks to people volunteering to take part in a clinical trial.

Not all clinical trials are about drugs, medical devices or treatments. Clinical trials have helped develop screening processes and prevention methods to find diseases earlier or prevent them altogether. The value of lifestyle changes like exercise and diet are studied through clinical trials, and more often, people are surviving diseases like cancer due to clinical trials.

Many Canadians live with medical conditions or chronic illnesses. Some of them need medication or require many different treatment approaches, and others live with a medical condition for which there is no cure or effective treatment. To ensure medicine and treatments can advance to meet the needs of all Canadians, the involvement of Canadian volunteers in clinical trials is critical.

Participating in a clinical trial helps researchers to:  

• Determine if a treatment is safe
• Identify the best treatment options
• Find new ways to use existing treatments to advance medicine
• Learn who will benefit most from treatments 

The benefits of participating in a clinical trial may include:

• Improved quality of life for people with chronic illnesses
• Personal benefits 
• Advancing medicine
• Helping Canadians to get healthier

Visit It Starts With Me to learn more about clinical trials, how they work, and how to get involved.

Source: Itstartswithme.ca