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• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Cancer drugs and radiotherapy - randomised trials >> Wendy - Interview 02 >> Wendy was asked to take part in a year-long trial of chemotherapy for bowel cancer. She thought it might be ‘too selfish’ to take part if it affected

Wendy was invited to take part in a chemotherapy trial after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. She decided to take part, and was allocated to the experimental group. She experienced quite severe side effects but continued to the end of the treatment.

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Cancer drugs and radiotherapy - randomised trials >> Wendy - Interview 02 >> It was an anxious time waiting to hear which trial group she was in. She’d have felt cheated if she had been in the control group, but would have stay

Wendy was invited to take part in a chemotherapy trial after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. She decided to take part, and was allocated to the experimental group. She experienced quite severe side effects but continued to the end of the treatment.

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Not taking part in a trial >> Charles - Interview 29 >> Charles volunteered for two trials on prostate cancer screening and a new treatment for erectile dysfunction. He mainly hoped it would benefit him, an

Charles volunteered for two trials, but ended up unable to take part in either of them. The first time he did not meet the eligibility criteria. The second time was because of an administrative mix-up about his age, and he feels it was not well handled.

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Cancer drugs and radiotherapy - randomised trials >> Wendy - Interview 02 >> The extra side effects meant she had to give up work and lost money as a result. There was a lot of disruption to family life, but they found a new ro

Wendy was invited to take part in a chemotherapy trial after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. She decided to take part, and was allocated to the experimental group. She experienced quite severe side effects but continued to the end of the treatment.

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Cancer drugs and radiotherapy - randomised trials >> Rose - Interview 17 >> Patients may look calm and unemotional on the surface, but they may not be feeling that way underneath.

Rose took part in a trial for people with inoperable lung cancer, comparing radiotherapy alone with radiotherapy plus chemotherapy. She had just radiotherapy. The trial was stopped early because so few people agreed to take part.

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Long term conditions >> Angela - Interview 23 >> Angela was asked questions about mobility and activities of daily living, but also about her emotions and relationships.

Angela was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after taking part in a trial on nerve conduction. She has since been in a randomised trial of different drugs for Parkinson’s and would happily take part in another trial, despite having had side effects.(Angela is also on our Parkinson’s disease site, Interview 10).

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Cancer - Non-randomised studies >> Anthea - Interview 39 >> Anthea suggests that if people have real doubts or worries, they should not agree to take part.

Anthea was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2000. She has been in a randomised trial of treatment with interferon and is now in a phase 1 trial of a combination of drugs which attack the DNA of cancer cells.

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Cancer drugs and radiotherapy - randomised trials >> Wendy - Interview 02 >> Wendy advises people to get plenty of information and think through the implication for their family before consenting to a trial. You have to make a

Wendy was invited to take part in a chemotherapy trial after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. She decided to take part, and was allocated to the experimental group. She experienced quite severe side effects but continued to the end of the treatment.

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Not taking part in a trial >> Hazel - Interview 05 >> Think carefully before taking part in a trial, and try not to be too influenced by family. They want the best for you, but they don’t know what you re

Hazel learnt she had breast cancer (DCIS) after screening in 1991. After surgery she was asked to be in a trial comparing no further treatment with radiotherapy, tamoxifen, or radiotherapy and tamoxifen combined. She declined to take part. (You can see Hazel talking more about her experiences on the Healthtalkonline site on Breast cancer screening, Interview 17 & DCIS, Interview 26).