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• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Screening, prevention other medical interventions >> Rosamund - Interview 18 >> Rosamund got a letter about the ovarian screening trial. She wanted more information and asked to see the whole trial protocol. She was annoyed they o

Rosamund is taking part in a large trial testing the effectiveness of screening for ovarian cancer. She is in the control group, so she has no screening tests but completes regular questionnaires.

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Not taking part in a trial >> Elizabeth - Interview 27 >> It’s important to tell people about trials, but she wonders if clinicians always appreciate the commitment they’re asking people to make, the side eff

Elizabeth was invited to join a trial of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, but decided not to take part as she knew which treatment she would prefer and did not want to be randomised to another group. She felt the consultant was cross about her decision.

• 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 >> Screening, prevention other medical interventions >> Sabiha - Interview 19 >> Sabiha would have used her own annual leave to cover time off work for trial appointments.

Sabiha took part in a trial of breast screening for younger women (under 50). More recently she volunteered for a trial of cholesterol-lowering drugs but was not eligible because her cholesterol level was too low.

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Screening, prevention other medical interventions >> Rosamund - Interview 18 >> Rosamund does not think people should be paid to be in trials, but staff need to recognise that people work and can’t always take time off easily.

Rosamund is taking part in a large trial testing the effectiveness of screening for ovarian cancer. She is in the control group, so she has no screening tests but completes regular questionnaires.

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Long term conditions >> Angela - Interview 23 >> Angela does not like the idea of paying people to take part. People need to volunteer if medicine is to make progress – but it was easier for her as s

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 >> Long term conditions >> David - Interview 34 >> The offer of a generous expenses package was attractive to David, though looking back he feels it was fair compensation for his time and effort.

David volunteered for a placebo-controlled trial of a new treatment derived from mouse DNA to improve asthma symptoms. He later discovered he was in the group taking a lower dose of the treatment, but he would not have minded being in the placebo group.

• Medical research >> Clinical Trials >> Screening, prevention other medical interventions >> Sabiha - Interview 19 >> Appointments at evenings and weekends would make it easier for people. A token payment for their time might also help, and would not put pressure on p

Sabiha took part in a trial of breast screening for younger women (under 50). More recently she volunteered for a trial of cholesterol-lowering drugs but was not eligible because her cholesterol level was too low.