Trial Patients See Costs Eased by Reimbursements

A study in CANCER journal examines non-medical expense reimbursements for patients in cancer clinical trials.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Cancer

Wide view of a low, unmarked modern medical building with an empty drive-up canopy, a pale road leading to it, and a lone suitcase at the curb under overcast daylight. — A study in the journal CANCER found reimbursements for non-medical costs such as travel, lodging and childcare can ease the financial burden of cancer clinical trial participation. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should the government require reimbursement of travel and living costs for cancer trial patients?

The Lazarex Cancer Foundation reimbursed out-of-pocket non-medical costs for patients in therapeutic cancer clinical trials from 2006 to 2024. An analysis published in the peer-reviewed CANCER journal found the financial burden of trial participation varies by income, distance to trial sites, and trial phase.

Why it matters

Non-medical costs such as travel, lodging and childcare can deter patients from joining clinical trials, which are needed to advance cancer treatment. Federal legislation addressing financial support for trial participants is currently under consideration in the United States.

Among 2,826 patients who received at least one reimbursement, the median total per-patient amount was $2,128 across a median trial stay of 4.3 months. Monthly reimbursements fell to 60% of initial levels by three months, and the study does not address whether later costs were covered at the same rate.

The players

Lazarex Cancer Foundation

A nonprofit organization that reimburses patients in cancer clinical trials for out-of-pocket non-medical costs such as travel and lodging.

CANCER journal

A peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, published by Wiley, that carried the analysis.

The details

The program reimbursed expenses only when the trial sponsor or site provided no other financial support. Internet, ground transportation and childcare or eldercare costs were more common among lower-income participants, while lodging and airfare were more common among higher-income participants, and monthly reimbursements were greater for middle-income households, patients living farther from trial sites, and phase 1 trial participants.

2006 to 2024: The Lazarex Cancer Foundation reimbursed non-medical costs for trial patients.
Three months into trial participation: Monthly reimbursements fell to 60% of initial levels.
November 9, 2026: The analysis was published in the CANCER journal.

Policy Context

Federal legislation addressing financial support for clinical trial participants is currently under consideration in the United States. The reimbursement findings offer data on which non-medical costs weigh most heavily on patients as that proposal is debated.

Patients weighing trial enrollment may face travel, lodging and childcare costs that the study suggests can be partly offset by reimbursement programs. The data indicates these costs are highest for patients living far from trial sites and for those in phase 1 trials.

The takeaway

Clinical trial participation carries real non-medical expenses that vary by income and distance, and reimbursement programs can ease that burden. Patients considering a trial should ask sponsors and sites what support is available before enrolling.