Meet Lisa. Mia and Charles. All three have been diagnosed with cancer and were told that a clinical trial may be their only option. Cancer clinical trials enroll patients to be part of research into new, potentially life-saving treatment options.
Follow the journeys of 3 people with terminal cancer who want to participate in clinical trials. Standard treatments were no longer effective against their disease and FDA cancer clinical trials offered the best hope for continuing treatment. Learn how Lazarex Cancer Foundation helps patients access cancer clinical trials by identifying their trial options and covering their travel costs for trial participation.
Transcript:
Meet Lisa,
Mia
and Charles.
All three have been diagnosed with cancer.
All three have been given a terminal diagnosis. Standard treatment failed them and all were told that a clinical trial may be their only option.
Cancer clinical trials enroll patients to be part of research into new, potentially life-saving treatment options.
Lisa is open to participating in a clinical trial.
She researched online and found several for her type of cancer but isn’t clear which she would qualify for …or how to figure it all out. Since all are at big hospitals far from where she lives, getting there starts to feel impossible.
She also lives alone on a fixed income, her cancer leaves her feeling tired and financially overwhelmed, and as a woman of color, she hasn’t always had the best healthcare experiences.
Overwhelmed, she stops trying and sadly is gone within a few months.
Mia is only 4 when she’s diagnosed. Doctors tell her Mom about a clinical trial happening at a children’s hospital 544 miles away. They offer to enroll her right away.
Mia’s mom declines because she can’t afford the cost of gas and tolls to make that trip with her daughter every two weeks as the trial requires.
That’s when a hospital social worker suggests she reach out to Lazarex Cancer Foundation because they can help with these travel costs based upon her household income.
She does and within 4 weeks Lazarex starts reimbursing the family each month for gas, tolls and parking.
That was 5 years ago. Thanks to her clinical trial, Mia is now 9 and in the 4th grade. Her cancer clinical trial was successful and she is in remission.
One of Charles’ daughters hears about Lazarex on Instagram and calls them.
First Lazarex helps her Dad find a clinical trial. Then, since it requires him to fly across the country every 3 weeks, they offer him travel reimbursements.
Now every month he’s reimbursed $1,500 a month for airfare and a hotel room – for him and one of his daughters, his travel companion.
His daughters take turns making the trip with him because he’s unable to travel alone- and thankfully – his cancer has stabilized.
There are a lot of barriers that keep people from accessing cancer clinical trials. Finding a trial and paying to get there are two major barriers.
Lazarex Cancer Foundation is the only non-profit in the US that helps patients find clinical trials and reimburses them and a companion for travel costs associated with getting to and from cancer clinical trials – for as long they’re part of the trial.
We’ve helped more than 8,000 patients get past these hurdles over the last 16 years.
And more people need to know about possible life saving options.
Lives are at stake.
Join us in our efforts to drive more equitable clinical trial access and diversity.
Learn how at Lazarex.org
