Sue Scott's Case Summary

In 2011, Sue Scott was diagnosed with stage 1B2 cervical cancer (which affects the entrance of the uterus) in 2011. She went through a standard treatment, which works for 65 percent of people with cervical cancer but unfortunately, Scott was part of the 35 percent for whom it did not work. The reason for participating in a research trial may vary depending on a person. In Scott’s case, she contributed to the research to promote medical advancement and human health. She wanted for herself and others whose treatment did not work to believe that there is still hope, a possibility to live. By contributing, some might think Scott’s participation in a trial is unethical because she was putting herself at risk. But because she was willingly allowing

It takes a great deal of courage for a participant to become a test experiment since there are side effects that come along with it. For instance, the treatment may not always be effective for that particular volunteer (Questions About Clinical Research) which leaves that person to waste his time. Results have shown a pass rate of 95 percent in phase one clinical testing offering little risks to the contributor (Parker JL, Clare Kohler J.). Scott was part of the 95 percent that showed a positive outcome with no detectable cancer in any scans. So if the treatment is successful like in Scott’s trial leaving with a beneficial result, that volunteer is helping a patient whose sickness is not curable. To correlate, if the treatment works, that sick patient can use the treatment to get better but if it doesn’t work, physicians will know to not use that particular treatment on a patient.
Most people, particularly uninsured ones, rarely get their annual check up. In 2010, only about twelve percent of all uninsured adults received routine check-ups (U.S. Census Bureau). It is best for a person to get a check up once a year. In addition to visiting a physician when an illness or injury occurs, check ups allow physicians to monitor diagnostic readings of a patient. Participating in a clinical trial is a way to play an active role in healthcare like how Scott did. It enabled her to know more about her health and the progressions of her