There can be benefits to participating in a clinical
research trial: you’re helping to advance medicine, it often offers a care
option for those without insurance, you may have access to new FDA-approved treatments,
and you may receive financial reimbursement along with no-cost study-related
care. But can clinical research truly save
your life? While it seems to be a far-fetched statement, truthfully, it very
well can.
Mrs. Fowler learned about clinical research because her
husband had been a regular participant with PMG Research. Like many of us, Mrs.
Fowler visited her primary care doctor on an as-needed basis. However, as her
high cholesterol continued to give her trouble, she felt that clinical research
would be a care option to consider.
“I had tried every cholesterol medication they had on the
market. It wasn’t working so I thought, ‘what can I lose?’”
During her participation in the study, Mrs. Fowler’s lab
results began to show improvement. “My cholesterol was under 200 for the first
time in 20 years.”
Mrs. Fowler came in for numerous routine visits during her
participation in the study. Suddenly however, her lab results came back
abnormal. Staff members at PMG quickly noticed this as a red flag and
immediately referred her to her primary care doctor. She was diagnosed with a
very rare form of cancer, and was able to begin receiving treatment for it
immediately.
Mrs. Fowler’s cancer was caught early, but the likelihood of
catching it had she not been in a trial is extremely slim. She had no obvious
symptoms, nothing to indicate that she needed to see a doctor for anything
other than her high cholesterol, and unfortunately this a common scenario for
so many that do not receive regular check-ups with their primary care doctors.
Participating in a clinical research study is an excellent way to monitor your
health, even outside of the condition for which you’re participating. Often
times labs are required that would not be performed in a typical yearly
physical, sometimes uncovering rare and dangerous conditions that may have been
able to slide under the radar in any other scenario.
Mrs. Fowler’s story is incredible, yet isn’t as rare as you
might think. A quick Google search will turn up countless attests to clinical
research saving lives around the world.
Watch the video below to learn more about Mrs. Fowler’s
amazing story.
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