How to Talk to Your Doctor About Clinical Trials

When to bring it up, what to prepare, key questions to ask, and how to use research briefings in your appointment.

By Victor Lafforgue, Founder of TrialsAlert. See our editorial policy for how we source and review content.

When to bring up clinical trials

The right time to discuss clinical trials with your doctor depends on your situation. Consider bringing it up when your current treatment is not working as well as expected, when you have exhausted standard treatment options, when you are first diagnosed and want to understand all available options, or when you have read about a new trial that seems relevant to your condition. Many patients feel hesitant to raise the topic, but most oncologists and specialists welcome the conversation. Clinical trials are a legitimate and important part of modern medicine, not a last resort.

How to prepare for the conversation

Before your appointment, gather information about the specific trial or trials you want to discuss. Note the trial's NCT number (the unique identifier on ClinicalTrials.gov), the phase of the trial, the treatment being tested, the eligibility criteria, and the trial locations. If you use a monitoring service like TrialsAlert, bring your weekly research briefing or generate a doctor report. This provides a professional summary your physician can review quickly. Having concrete information makes the conversation more productive than a general question about clinical trials.

Key questions to ask

Ask your doctor whether the trial is appropriate for your specific disease stage and treatment history, what the potential benefits and risks are compared to your current treatment plan, whether participation would require you to stop your current treatment, how often you would need to visit the trial site, whether the trial uses a placebo and if so whether you could receive the treatment after the trial ends, and what happens to your care if you withdraw from the trial. Your doctor can also help you understand the trial's endpoint and what the results might mean for patients like you.

Using research briefings in your appointment

A research briefing or doctor report summarizes the most relevant clinical trial developments for your condition in language your physician expects. Sharing this with your doctor before or during your appointment saves time and focuses the conversation on the trials most likely to benefit you. Many patients report that bringing sourced, organized research to their appointments changes the quality of the conversation entirely, moving from "are there any trials?" to discussing specific options.

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