Will I get a placebo?

A placebo is a harmless pill, liquid, or powder with no active effects, often called a “sugar pill.”

Purpose of Placebos in Clinical Trials: Used by researchers to determine if a new treatment is effective by comparing outcomes with those receiving the placebo.

Placebo Use in Cancer Clinical Trials: Rarely used alone in cancer clinical trials unless no known effective treatment exists. Typically, placebos are combined with active drugs in most cancer trials.

Ethical Considerations: It is unethical to give a placebo instead of a treatment that is known to work.

Standard of Care: Clinical trial participants should always be offered at least the standard of care treatment.