Dr. Don Benson, MD, PhD, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University
Interview Date: July 19, 2013

On this week's show, we learned that less than 5% of myeloma patients participate in clinical trials.  According to the American Cancer Society, if 10% of patients participated in clinical trials, we could reduce trial times from 3-5 years to 1 year, tripling the speed of research. This week's Myeloma Specialist, Dr. Don Benson of The James Cancer Center at The Ohio State University, does a deep dive to help us understand the ins and outs of medical trials. Dr. Benson provides a solid foundation for understanding clinical trials, answers patients' common questions and addresses the unfounded fears of being a "guinea pig" or getting a placebo in a trial.  He discusses how trials are funded, describes who is funding the most out-of-the-box, innovative ideas and explains why you may actually get better, more attentive care being part of a trial.