What Happens Before Starting Treatment in a Clinical Trial?
After deciding to join a clinical trial, there are several steps before beginning treatment in the trial. These steps include answering questions from the research team to confirm that you are eligible, reviewing and signing the informed consent document, receiving screening or baseline tests and scans, and being assigned to a treatment group. Click the links below to learn more.
Introduction
Prescreening, Screening, and Baseline Tests
- Metastatic Trial Talk: What are Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria?
- Pfizer: Prescreening questions and screening, or baseline, tests happen before receiving treatment
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County: Prescreening happens before you give informed consent, and screening happens after you give informed consent
- One Study Team: Prescreening is part of recruitment to clinical trials
Informed Consent
- Metastatic Trial Talk: The informed consent document describes the procedures, possible risks and benefits, and safety measures in the trial
Assignment to a Study Group
- Cure Today: Some trials have only one study group, or arm, and everyone in the trial receives the same treatment
- National Cancer Institute (video): In a randomized trial, a computer is used to randomly assign clinical trial participants to one study group
- Lindus Health: There are several different ways to assign trial participants to a study group