As you think about taking part in a clinical trial, you will face the issue of how to cover the costs of care. There are two types of costs associated with a clinical trial: patient care costs and research costs.

Patient care costs are those costs related to treating your cancer, whether you are in a trial or receiving standard therapy. These costs are often covered by health insurance. They include:

• Doctor visits
• Hospital stays
• Standard cancer treatments
• Treatments to reduce or eliminate symptoms of cancer or side effects from treatment
• Lab tests
• X-rays and other imaging tests

Research costs are those related to taking part in the trial. Often these costs are not covered by health insurance, but they may be covered by the trial’s sponsor. Examples include:

• The study drug
• Lab tests performed purely for research purposes
• Additional x-rays and imaging tests performed solely for the trial

When you take part in a trial, you may have extra doctor visits that you would not have with standard treatment. During these visits your doctor carefully watches for side effects and your safety in the study. These extra visits can add costs for transportation and child care.