We want to provide your child with the best possible medical care. New clinical trials build on the results of past trials, treatments and information learned about a disease. A clinical trial may allow us to provide more advanced care. Any decision to place your child on a clinical trial will be made by you and your child’s doctor, based on your child’s unique needs.
When your child is treated in a clinical trial, he receives the most up-to-date treatment available. Studies have shown that patients who participate in clinical trials do better than those children who are not treated on a trial.
Your child is closely followed by doctors, nurses and researchers who look for:
- How well the treatment works
- How it affects healthy cells in the body over time
- How other children in the future might benefit from the treatment – just as your child has been helped from clinical trials of the past
In some instances, a trial may not result in a direct benefit to your child but may provide some information that will aid in the treatment of future children with the same disease.