Risks and Benefits
What are the risks and benefits of participating in a clinical trial research study?
Individuals who participate in research studies are given the opportunity to benefit from treatments that are not currently available to the general public, but have shown promise in previous research.
Risks from participating in a clinical trial vary depending on the study. It is important to understand that not all new treatments produce the desired effect.
The National Cancer Institute offers information about participating in Clinical Trials:
- What Is a Clinical Trial?
- How to Find a Cancer Treatment Trial: A 10-Step Guide
- Should I Take Part in a Clinical Trial?
- Should I Take Part in a Cancer Prevention Trial?
- How Do I Take Part in a Clinical Trial?
- Participating in a Trial: Questions to Ask Your Doctor
- How Is a Clinical Trial Planned and Carried Out?
- Protecting Participants in Clinical Trials
- Ten Things to Know About Cancer Treatment Trials
- Eleven Things to Know about Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials
- Cancer Imaging Clinical Trials
More from the NCI >> Search the NCI's list of 8,000+ clinical trials now accepting participants. Call the NCI at 1-800-4-CANCER with questions about Clinical Trials.
Visit the Atlanta Regional Clinical Oncology Program website for a list of Clinical Trials available in the Atlanta area for prostate cancer. More information on Clinical Trials is available by contacting Karen Packard, RN, MSN, AOCN, Manager of the Oncology Research Department at Saint Joseph's and Program Coordinator of the Atlanta Regional Clinical Oncology Program at (678) 843-7710 or kpackard@sjha.org, or Judy Smith, RN at (678) 843-7119 or jsmith4@sjha.org, Clinical Research Nurse at Saint Joseph's.
Information on this page is provided collaboratively by the team at the Prostate Cancer Center at Saint Joseph's and has been medically reviewed by Rajesh G. Laungani, MD, 2010. The PCC follows American Urological Association and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the treatment of prostate cancer.
Last Updated: July 13, 2011 (RSH)

