If you are considering joining a clinical trial, the only way to join is to be referred by your clinician.
If a trial is appropriate for you, your clinician can contact the team running the trial on your behalf. They will be able to find out more information about the trial and whether or not you are eligible to join.
It’s important to remember that as sarcoma is a rare form of cancer with many distinct subtypes, there may only be a small number of clinical trials open at one time.
For more guidance on making the decision to join a clinical trial, see our Frequently Asked Questions for Clinical Trials.
Eligibility
Not all clinical trials are appropriate for every sarcoma patient.
Each trial will have a list of characteristics that all patients must have to be accepted onto the study. These are often related to type of cancer, age, medical history and current level of health.
You may also have to have extra tests, such as blood tests or scans, once you have agreed to take part in a trial. This helps to ensure that you meet all the criteria for the trial.
Giving your consent
Informed consent is about making sure you understand what you are agreeing to. If you decide to take part in a trial it is a legal and ethical requirement that you understand all of the relevant information about it before agreeing to take part.
Once you have been referred to a trial, the research team will provide you with more detailed information about it. This will include:
- what the trial is for
- what will be expected of you when taking part
- any potential risks and side effects of taking part
- what the benefits of taking part may be
Once you have agreed to take part, you will then be asked to sign a consent form.
You don’t have to take part in a trial if you don’t want to. You can also change your mind about taking part in a trial at any point, even after signing the consent form or starting treatment.
