Trial eligibility is set by the protocol and turns on clinical criteria rather than nationality: tumour type and molecular profile, prior lines of therapy, organ function, age range, measurable disease, and willingness to follow the protocol schedule. For foreign nationals the extra barriers are usually three: language and consent compliance, visa and length of stay, and hand-over of follow-up to the home country.
Who pays
- Trial-related drugs and protocol-mandated tests are usually covered by the sponsor;
- Non-protocol tests, complication care, admission and living costs are usually borne by the patient;
- Coordination and interpretation are billed at our published rates and are unrelated to enrolment.
Three things to check in informed consent
- Randomised or single-arm: in a randomised design the patient may be assigned to the standard arm;
- Exit rules: when withdrawal is unconditional and how treatment continues afterwards;
- Data scope: whether samples and data are used in further research or transferred abroad.
Practical advice
First confirm the trial is still recruiting, then whether the patient meets all inclusion and exclusion criteria, and only then discuss visa and travel. Doing it in reverse wastes weeks and airfare. We run a criteria check before forwarding so clearly ineligible cases do not enter screening.
Enrolment and treatment in any trial are decided by investigators and ethics committees under regulations and the protocol. We take no part in the medical judgement and promise no enrolment.