Clinical Trials--Do you have to transfer care?

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ShetlandPony
ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
edited February 2017 in Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results

If I join a clinical trial, do I have to transfer my care to the institution that is involved with the trial? Or can I keep my current institution and doctor, and just add visits with a doctor at the trial institution? Can I get my blood draws and scans at my current place? Will insurance pay for me to see both oncologists while I am on the trial? Can the trial location refuse to take me if I want to stay with my current oncologist? Continuity of care is important, I like my oncologist, and my current treatment center is better than the trial one.

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  • Cure-ious
    Cure-ious Member Posts: 2,626
    edited January 2017

    Hi Shetland, All great questions! I looked into a trial that was a few hours away, I was not eligible so did not join, but they told me that I could keep my MO who would give me the XGEVA shots, as that was not part of the trial, and would send interim results to her as well. However all the scans, MRIs, etc they need to do themselves. My insurance paid for the consult. I think if you join a trial , then the costs of the medication and treatment are paid by the trial, not by your insurance (usually trials are funded by a drug company or sometimes by the host institution, you can see it listed there on the clinical trial page). In the case of some real fancy treatments like CAR-T, the costs must be incredible

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  • Cure-ious
    Cure-ious Member Posts: 2,626
    edited January 2017

    Also, of course you are free to drop out of a trial at any time and for any reason

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  • ShetlandPony
    ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
    edited February 2017

    Thank you, Cure-ious, for helping orient me. As I continued the process of considering a couple trials, I got similar information. Basically, all scans, blood tests, etc. that are required by the trial must be done at the trial location. Regular visits with the trial location's oncologist are required. The trial pays for the new drug being tested, and your insurance pays for any standard-of-care drugs that you would be getting anyway. I'm not sure where the payment line is for standard-of-care blood tests and scans. My usual oncologist said she would be happy to continue seeing me even if I transferred to the trial, but I am still not sure what insurance would say. (I decided not to do a trial at this time.)

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