Today, we have better and more effective drugs and therapies because of research. As a result of these newer treatments, survival rates have increased, quality of life has been improved, and there are fewer treatment side effects for thousands of people with cancer. Many of these drugs and therapies would not be available today if it were not for cancer research programs and cancer patients willing to participate in clinical trials. Some people feel that participating in a clinical trial gives them an opportunity to help other people with similar ailments through the knowledge gained from the study. Dr. Ricardo Pardo at Jacinto Medical Group was the highest recruiting investigator in all of North America and 5th worldwide among 135 sites for the Oxcarbazepine partial epilepsy trial.
We are committed to providing Baytown and its surrounding areas with top-notch clinical research trials. These research trials allow the local population a change to participate in ongoing medical research and access to latest medical drugs and treatments. Most of these trials are conducted at the Texas Medical Center. Currently, there are a number of trials available in Neurology for early onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Dementia, and Epilepsy.
A clinical trial is a research study designed to answer one or more questions about how a certain drug, treatment or medical device affects a disease such as cancer. There are potential benefits to participating in a clinical trial, as well as potential risks. These benefits and risks are different for each clinical trial. You should discuss them with your own doctor, as well as with the clinical team of research trial.
The treatment you receive during a clinical trial may help you. Clinical trial participants receive either the most effective known treatment available or the new drug or treatment being considered. Newer therapies may lead to better results. On the other hand, they may not be any better, or even as good as, the standard treatment already available.
Clinical trials usually evaluate very specific new treatments for very specific conditions. Therefore, they have very strict criteria about who is and who is not a candidate for each study. To ensure you have the broadest possible range of treatment options available, our research coordinator will review your case during the diagnosis stage to see if you may match any of the criteria for the clinical trials in which Jacinto Medical Group is participating.
If you are eligible for a current study, a research coordinator will provide the details of the study to your doctor, who will then ask you if you would be interested in learning more about participating in the clinical trial. Participating in a clinical trial will require some extra time on your part. The research team will want to monitor you closely during the trial and collect follow-up information. This care is in addition to the care you will continue to receive from your doctor and medical team.
1. Receive a 1-2 page summarized information on the study recommended by your Neurologist to take home and review. If you are willing to participate, you will be contacted by the Study sponsor for the Informed consent which is critical for a good clinical trial, so even if you are sure that you would like to do the study, you must take the information review it before you can sign up. The Informed Consent Form will include answers to the following questions:
