Who should decide whether to enroll a child in a trial of a new cancer treatment? Both the parent and the child are supposed to give consent, but according to a Science Blog report on a recent study, doctors often explain things to the parents and obtain their consent, while leaving young patients out of the loop. They may get a child's signature without giving much information on what it's for, and kids may not have any idea that the treatment they're getting is experimental.
The survey also revealed that the kids involved would like to have a greater understanding of what they're participating in and a greater voice in making the decision to participate in the first place. You can read more about the study on the site of the journal Pediatrics.
Has your child participated in a clinical trial? How much was he or she involved in that decision? Share your experience in the comments.
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