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When might a clinical trial be right for patients, and how can they get involved?
Erik Aerts
March 16, 2026
For AML World Awareness Day 2026, Know AML was pleased to speak with Know AML Ambassadors Erik Aerts, a specialist hematology nurse based in Switzerland, and Charles Craddock, an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) physician based in the United Kingdom. We asked, When might a clinical trial be right for patients, and how can they get involved?
Erik explains that clinical trials can be an option at any stage of the AML journey, including at diagnosis, during remission (when signs of leukemia are no longer detectable), or if the disease comes back (relapses). He encourages patients to ask their doctor whether a clinical trial might be suitable for them. He highlights that clinical trials are closely monitored for safety, completely voluntary, and can give patients access to new treatments which may not be available otherwise.
Charles agrees that clinical trials are essential for improving how AML is treated. Patients who take part in clinical trials often have better results than expected, whether they receive the standard treatment (control drug) or the new treatment being studied. Charles explains that patients can contribute to AML research in other ways, such as by joining patient registries. These registries collect information from patients outside of clinical trials to help doctors to understand more about AML and improve care for future patients.
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