If you hear of or read about a trial that interests you, the first step is to talk to the trial's contact person. It does not necessarily matter if you are currently receiving treatment at a different clinic, although you should be sure to tell your regular doctor if you do join a trial at a different centre.

The staff at the trial centre will usually ask you some questions to check that you meet the basic entry requirements for the trial, and you may have a physical examination and a blood test.  After the results of all the tests are available, the trial staff will let you know whether or not you are eligible to take part.

During a trial

During a clinical trial you have to follow a timetable of treatment, check-ups and blood tests, to see if the treatment is working. The researchers will keep a careful record of your progress.

You may have to go to the clinic for check-ups as rarely as once every six months or as often as five times a week. In some trials these check-ups may be included in your usual appointments. Usually you can take the trial drug at home, but some trials require you to stay in hospital.

You may have to make some changes to your everyday life. These may include avoiding certain foods or over-the-counter medicines like anti-histamines because they might interfere with the trial drug's action, or taking the treatment before or after meals.

There may also be interactions with alcohol and tobacco, and with recreational drugs such as Ecstasy.

You may also be asked to keep a list of any side-effects you notice from the treatment, or a record of your daily activities, or what you eat.