Doctors and other health professionals conduct clinical trials to look at ways to improve the care and quality of life of cancer survivors.
Areas studied include:
- how to best support the mental health of cancer survivors and deal with the fear of recurrence
- wellbeing and healthy lifestyle programs for survivors
- how to best treat common side effects such as fatigue, early menopause and lymphoedema
- understanding more about the causes of common side effects
- improving follow-up care for survivors.
You may want to consider joining a clinical trial when your cancer treatment finishes. Over the years, clinical trials have improved treatments and led to better outcomes for cancer survivors.
You may find it helpful to talk to your specialist, treatment team or GP, or to get a second opinion. If you decide to take part in a clinical trial, you can withdraw at any time.
For more information, see Clinical trials and research. To find current clinical trials near you, visit Cancer Institute NSW or Australian Cancer Trials.
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Video: What is a clinical trial?
In this video, Medical Oncologist Dr Elizabeth Hovey explains what clinical trials are and how they can improve cancer treatment.
Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
Prof Michael Jefford, Medical Oncologist and Director, Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC (clinical review); Lucy Bailey, Nurse Counsellor, Cancer Council Queensland; Philip Bullas, Consumer; Dr Kate Gunn, Clinical Psychologist and Senior Research Fellow, Department of Rural Health, University of South Australia, SA; Rosemerry Hodgkin, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Prof David Joske, Clinical Haematologist, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Clinical Professor of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, WA; Kim Kerin-Ayres, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Cancer Survivorship, Concord Hospital, NSW; Sally Littlewood, Physiotherapist, Seymour Health, VIC; Georgina Lohse, Social Worker, GV Health, VIC; Melanie Moore, Exercise Physiologist and Clinical Supervisor, University of Canberra Cancer Wellness Clinic, ACT; June Savva, Senior Clinician Dietitian, Nutrition and Dietetics, Monash Cancer Centre, Monash Health, VIC; Dr Elysia Thornton-Benko, Specialist General Practitioner and Research Fellow, University of New South Wales, NSW; Prof Janette Vardy, Medical Oncologist, Concord Cancer Centre and Professor of Cancer Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW; Lyndell Wills, Consumer.
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