Can I take part in a clinical trial in the UK if I don’t live there?

International trials

If you are interested in joining a trial, it's a good idea to first of all talk with your own cancer doctor. They know about your cancer and treatment so far. They may be able to suggest trials taking place in your own hospital or a hospital nearer to you.

You could try looking at at databases that list trials in other countries. These include:

• Clinicaltrials.gov, an international database maintained by the National Library of Medicine

• the NCI trials database in the USA

• the European Organisation for Research and Trials in Cancer (EORTC)

• the EU clinical trials register

The information on these sites is often written in a medical way, but they tell you which trials are running. You will need to speak to your own doctor if you find a trial that you think may be suitable for you.

Joining UK trials from overseas

Different organisations run clinical trials in the UK. For example, some trials are organized by:

• universities and hospitals, also called academic trials

• pharmaceutical companies, sometimes called commercial trials

Academic trials

Academic trials are those trials run by universities and hospitals. You need to qualify for free healthcare if you want to take part in an academic trial. Free healthcare in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is called the National Health Service (NHS). In Northern Ireland, this is called Health and Social Care (HSC). To have free healthcare, you have to be a resident in the UK. The official name for this is ‘ordinarily resident’. ‘Ordinarily resident’ means you are in the UK legally and you are living in the UK as part of your normal life. This can be for the short or the long term. People can be ordinarily resident in more than one country at the same time. What you are entitled to depends on the country you have come from.

Go to more information about NHS cancer treatment for overseas visitors

If you are not eligible for free healthcare in the UK, there may be the option to join a trial through private clinical trial centres. See below for more information.

Private healthcare companies who run commercial trials

Some private healthcare companies in the UK have a clinical trial centre and run commercial trials. Nearly all the people who join these trials live in the UK. But it may be possible for someone from overseas to join one of these trials.

Your doctor in your own country should refer you to the doctor or the healthcare company running the trial. This means that the trial team will have all the necessary information about your cancer to decide if you are suitable for a trial.

There are entry criteria or conditions for all trials. This includes things like:

• a certain type and stage of cancer

• previous treatment

• how fit and well you are

We have more information about the entry criteria for trials

The trial team will need you to travel to the UK for your appointments and to have treatment. For these reasons, trial teams are quite strict about which trial they can offer. For example, they may feel that a trial involving a treatment with fewer tests and appointments is a better option. This would be easier to take part in, compared to a trial looking at more intensive treatment with more appointments or a hospital stay. The pharmaceutical company funds the trial, so your care and treatment as part of the trial is free. This may also include travel expenses and somewhere to stay while in the UK. You will still need to arrange your own travel insurance, including medical insurance. This insurance would be for any medical problems that are not related to the trial you are taking part in.

Cancer Research UK trials database

Cancer Research UK has a searchable database of trials that are recruiting in the UK. This includes both academic and commercial trials. The database also lists closed trials and trial result summaries. For most trials, you need to be referred from your own doctor to the doctor or team running the trial. This is called a medical referral. Visit the database

Coping and support

Coping with a diagnosis of cancer and taking part in a clinical trial can be overwhelming. It can be particularly difficult if you are away from home and most of your friends and family. The trial team will support you and give you a contact number to ring if you have any concerns. Find out more about coping with cancer