Starting on the clinical trial treatment or intervention.

Your oncologist and clinical trials research team follow strict rules outlined in the clinical trial protocol when giving the trial treatment or intervention. The goal of treatment is to get rid of, stop, slow, or reduce the growth of your cancer. In clinical trials that use an intervention, such as testing different cancer scanning techniques, the goal is usually to prevent cancer, detect cancer earlier, or improve symptoms.

In treatment trials, your oncologist and clinical trials research team will watch you and your cancer closely to see if the treatment is working and manage any side effects. In some trials, there is a prescribed number or amount of treatment given; in others, you stay on the treatment as long as it is benefitting you. If the treatment does not seem to be working for you, meaning your cancer is growing, the trial treatment will be stopped and other treatment options will be discussed with you.

Treatment can be stopped for various reasons, such as:

• The planned amount of treatment is finished
• Your cancer is not responding to the treatment
• You no longer want to take part in the trial or the treatment
• You have side effects which are not easily managed
• It is no longer in your best interest to be on the treatment, e.g. if something better for you becomes available

Completion of Treatment / Intervention

When the trial treatment or intervention is completed or stopped, tests, procedures, blood work, and assessments will be done. After this you enter the follow-up stage of the clinical trial.