Despite major advancements in the way we understand and treat colorectal cancer in the past two decades, Outcomes for patients are still insufficient and in the vast majority of cases, cancer is almost still incurable. It is incredibly frustrating for a person to be diagnosed as a cancer patient. Just the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, can make people lose hope and give up their efforts to seek- medical treatment. Colorectal carcinomas is a cancer that arises is the digestive system- the colon or the rectum- therefore, significantly impacting one’s quality of life. There is an increasing rate of younger populations being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, leading to one of the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst young people. 

What is a Clinical Trial?

In general, a clinical trial is a type of medical research that evaluates the effects of a new therapeutic technique on selected group volunteers. World Health Organization defines it as “any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes.” (1)

Clinical trials are aimed at finding a new medical therapy which is, 

• Safe to use in people (has manageable side effects)
• Works better than the current methods of treatment for a particular condition
• Improve the quality of life. (2)

A new drug should demonstrate its effectiveness under those criteria to obtain approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States. FDA carefully assesses the safety and effectiveness of the drug and decides whether to release it into the market or not. 

Currently, there are about 100,000 clinical trials ongoing, particularly in the field of cancer care. Included in this number are more than 4000 trials for patients suffering from colorectal cancer. 

Benefits of participating in a colorectal clinical trial

 

• Chance of a cure

Unfortunately, advanced cancers are usually incurable. Traditional methods of treatment do not always produce promising results when a tumor has spread beyond its site of origin. Therefore, it’s worthwhile for the patient to try a new treatment method that might have the potential to cure cancer.  

 

• Free or low-cost treatment

As we all know, cancer treatment costs a lot. The current average cost for stage IV colorectal carcinoma in the US is about $71,156 per patient. (4) But when you participate in a clinical trial, often, the treatment/procedure itself is free. In many cases you’ll receive free medical check-ups to evaluate the status of cancer, however, some routine checkups and evaluations will have to be covered by you or your insurance and not by the trial sponsor. The exact amount you or your insurance will have to pay varies greatly between different trials and can be found out by contacting the trial coordinator.

 

• You help the scientist to invent a new drug to treat diseased people

Even if you feel that clinical trials would not help you to improve your condition, remember that you are helping scientists to produce a new drug or treatment approach which might save the lives of thousands or maybe even millions of people. 

How to find colorectal cancer clinical trials?

If you would like to find clinical trials for colorectal cancer you can conduct relevant research by searching the internet. One of the most resourceful websites for finding colorectal clinical trials is Trialjectory. TrialJectory is an AI-based marketplace that helps cancer patients and their oncologists match their clinical profile with clinical trials. TrialJectorys first provides you with a list of colorectal clinical trials that are right for you based on your past and current medical history. Next, you review and share these options (if you would like) with your doctors. From there, you decide which trial you would like to apply to. TrialJectory then will connect you to a trial site and help facilitate all communications in order to ensure you get access to the best treatment.

Trialjectory makes the process of finding a clinical trial simple, as they search for colorectal clinical trials for you and match them with your individual disease profile. If you would like to learn more, please go to our website. Once you have been matched, we will help you apply to a trial, and get started. If you need assistance in learning more about the clinical trial process or have any questions, please email TrialJectorys clinical team at clinicalteam@trialjectory.com

Considering all the above, a clinical trial is an unquestionably ‘yes’ for a colorectal cancer patient.