A Brief Overview on Clinical Trials

WHAT ARE CLINICAL TRIALS ?

A clinical trial is a test to see if a drug or treatment will be effective in treating human disease. These trials are an essential part in proving that any new medicine or treatment works for the group it's intended to help. Clinical trials test promising new therapies with individuals in various stages of cancer. A cancer clinical trial is one of the final stages in the careful process of cancer research that begins in the laboratory. Clinical trials include different types and phases.

The different types

Treatment trials

These test new treatments or ways to make existing ones better.

Prevention trials

These look at new ways to lower the risk of getting cancer or stop it from coming back.

Screening trials

These look for ways to find cancer early in populations of people, before they have any symptoms.

Diagnostic trials

These look for better ways to diagnose or stage cancer.

Supportive care trials

These study how to improve comfort and quality of life for people with cancer or cancer survivors.

The different phases

Phase 1 trials are often the first time a new therapy is tested in people. This phase is used to see how safe a treatment is and what the best dose is. These trials are usually offered to people who have advanced cancer that is no longer responding to treatment or who have no other treatment options. There are usually 15 to 30 people in the trial.

Phase 2 trials are used to show how well a treatment works for a certain type of cancer. They continue to look at how safe the treatment is and what are the possible side effects. There are usually fewer than 100 people in the trial.

Phase 3 trials compare a promising new treatment to the standard treatment, which is the accepted and commonly used treatment for a condition or a disease. In particular, researchers want to know if the new treatment is better than the standard one. Phase 3 trials may include people from all over the world. The usual number of people in the trial is several hundred to several thousand.

Phase 4 trials gather more information on possible effects – good and bad – after a new treatment has been approved for use in Canada. There are usually several hundred to several thousand people in this phase.

For more information on clinical trials I strongly suggest you take a look at this video :)

Key Differences Between Immunotherapy & Chemotherapy

Immunotherapy represents a completely new approach to cancer treatment. Cancer immunotherapy clinical trials are critical to bringing new and potentially life savings treatments to more patients with more types of cancer, and may represent the greatest hope for those currently facing the disease.

I hope everyone is enjoying the break!

As usual, ALWAYS REMEMBER TO STAY ALERT!

Your health is important, stay safe everyone 💗

See you next time !