The Benefits of Clinical Trials at the Froedtert & MCW Health Network
If you or a family member has received a serious diagnosis, you may have been offered a clinical trial as part of treatment and you may have questions about participating. Ben George, MD, medical oncologist, explains what clinical trials are, how they can fit into a treatment plan and how trials uncover new ways to prevent and treat diseases. Dr. George also talks about the advantages of participating in a clinical trial with the Froedtert & MCW health network.
What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials are a mechanism to test the safety and effectiveness of new treatments. This could be a new drug, a new modality of surgery, a new kind of radiation treatment or a lifestyle change.
Why should someone consider participating in a clinical trial?
You know every treatment that is considered currently a standard was tested in a clinical trial, so the advantages of participating in a clinical trial are the following:
- Most importantly, every trial guarantees that the existing standard of care for that disease is matched with the additional opportunity to receive a treatment that may improve clinical outcomes.
- There may be scenarios where the standard treatments have been exhausted, and the only hope is the clinical trial.
- This is a way to systematically improve outcomes for our community for today and the future.
Why should someone consider treatment with the Froedtert & MCW health network?
Our clinical teams not only treat patients, but they also perform research. Therefore, we have the nuanced disease-specific expertise and academic excellence to not just offer cutting-edge standard treatments, but also innovative treatment options on clinical trials that may not be available elsewhere right here.
