Clinical trials,
also called research studies, test new treatments in people with
cancer. The goal of this research is to find better ways to
treat cancer and help cancer patients. Clinical trials test many
types of treatment such as new drugs, new approaches to surgery
or radiation therapy, new combinations of treatments, or new
methods such as gene therapy.
A clinical trial is one of the final stages of a long and
careful cancer research process. The search for new treatments
begins in the laboratory, where scientists first develop and
test new ideas. If an approach seems promising, the next step
may be testing a treatment in animals to see how it affects
cancer in a living being and whether it has harmful effects. Of
course, treatments that work well in the lab or in animals do
not always work well in people. Studies are done with cancer
patients to find out whether promising treatments are safe and
effective.
Patients who take part may be helped personally by the
treatment(s) they receive. They get up-to-date care from cancer
experts, and they receive either a new treatment being tested or
the best available standard treatment for their cancer. Of
course, there is no guarantee that a new treatment being tested
or a standard treatment will produce good results. New
treatments also may have unknown risks, but if a new treatment
proves effective or more effective than standard treatment,
study patients who receive it may be among the first to benefit.
Prognosis >>
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Cancer
Classification
1. Nomenclature
2. Adult cancers
3. Childhood cancers
Signs and symptoms
Diagnosis
1. Investigation
2. Biopsy
Treatment
1. Surgery
2. Radiation therapy
3. Chemotherapy
4. Targeted therapies
5. Immunotherapy
6. Hormonal therapy
7. Symptom control
8. Complementary and alternative
9. Treatment trials
Prognosis
1. Emotional impact
Causes
1. Chemical carcinogens
2. Ionizing radiation &
Infectious diseases
3. Hormonal imbalances
& Immune system dysfunction
4. Heredity & Other causes
Pathophysiology
1. Epigenetics
2. Oncogenes
3. Tumor suppressor genes
4. Cancer cell biology
4.1 Clonal evolution
4.2 Biological properties of cancer cells
Prevention
1. Modifiable ("lifestyle") risk factors
2. Diet
3. Vitamins
4. Chemoprevention
5. Genetic testing
6. Vaccination
7. Screening
Epidemiology
History
Research |
