What is informed consent, really?

It is the state of actually understanding what you are agreeing to. The signature is only the receipt. If you signed and did not understand, consent has not happened yet.

It is also not one moment. It carries on. Something may change during the trial that affects whether you would still want to be in it. If that happens, we have to come back and tell you.

Written by two physicians. Checked against patient information from the US National Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK.