Benefits & Risks

There are always potential risks for participants in a clinical trial. Patient safety is the primary focus of any study. The physician-researchers must follow ethical principles or rules. Each investigator who conducts a trial has passed coursework in research ethics and patient safety protocols.

In some clinical trials, no demonstrable benefit is discovered by the new treatment. It is possible that instead of the condition getting better, it gets worse. If the investigated drug does not positively affect overall survival but proves to be safe and helps some patients feel better, it may ultimately be approved for compassionate use.