Questions to ask before starting a clinical trial...?

[zephyr]

Forgive me if this question has been asked and answered elsewhere. I did a search but didn't find anything specifically on point. That said, the search turned up LOTS of results and I may have just missed the one I needed.

When going into a Phase I clinical trial, there are obvious questions - dosage, timing, short- and long-term side effects, risks, etc. - but what are the less obvious questions a patient should ask? For those of you who have been in trials, are there any questions you wished you had known to ask at the beginning?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[O Stoma Mia]

... When going into a Phase I clinical trial, there are obvious questions - dosage, timing, short- and long-term side effects, risks, etc. - but what are the less obvious questions a patient should ask? For those of you who have been in trials, are there any questions you wished you had known to ask at the beginning?

If you are considering a Phase 1 clinical trial, be sure that you understand the objectives of the trial. If you are considering a specific Phase 1 trial, then you can look up the study design in the clinical trial database. If you need help in interpreting what will be done in that particular trial, then you could post the clinical trial identifier for that trial and someone here might be able to give an interpretation of the study design.

In general, Phase 1 clinical trials are concerned with mapping out the side-effects profile for the new drug. A common objective for Phase 1 clinical trials is to determine the Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD), which means that the patient will be put through a dose-escalation protocol, with ever-increasing doses, until the patient can no longer tolerate the drug. This may not be what you want, since in Phase 1 trials, they are not primarily concerned with the effectiveness of the drug or whether the drug can or cannot shrink tumors. The testing of effectiveness of the drug normally comes later, in Phase 2 trials.

Here is a brief overview of Phase 1 trials.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phases_of_clinical_research#Phase_I
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[zephyr]

In general, Phase 1 clinical trials are concerned with mapping out the side-effects profile for the new drug. A common objective for Phase 1 clinical trials is to determine the Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD), which means that the patient will be put through a dose-escalation protocol, with ever-increasing doses, until the patient can no longer tolerate the drug. This may not be what you want, since in Phase 1 trials, they are not primarily concerned with the effectiveness of the drug or whether the drug can or cannot shrink tumors. The testing of effectiveness of the drug normally comes later, in Phase 2 trials.

Thank you so much for redirecting my focus. I was so caught up in some of the details that I missed the big picture.