Dr. David Claxton, hematolgist/oncologist and professor at Penn State's Hershey Cancer Institute and Dr. Anthony Olszanski, director of Clinical Pharmacology, Temple University's Fox Chase Cancer Center help us answer that question in this episode of Radio Smart Talk.
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All cancer treatments used today were first shown to be effective through clinical trials -- using humans for research, testing, and studies. That's why clinical trials are so critical and will continue to be significant.
According to the National Cancer Institute, "clinical trials are the final step in a long process that begins with research in a lab and animal testing."
In cancer, clinical trials are designed to answer questions about new ways to:
• Treat cancer
• Find and diagnose cancer
• Prevent cancer
• Manage symptoms of cancer or side effects from its treatment
5% of all patients that are diagnosed with cancer participate in a clinical trial. That means that 95% do not participate. About 1.5 million people will get a cancer diagnosis in 2012. Just think of the impact 1.5 million people could have on the face of cacer research if they participated in a trial. A panel of Central PA oncologists explain the significance of clinical trials in this video clip from a Facing Cancer Together webinar event.
Related stories:
- The American Cancer Society Clinical Trials Matchig Service
- Video: Clinical trials lead to better treatment
- Expert Journal blog: What is cancer research?
- Making it Personal: Advances in cancer technology
- Tracking the Timeline of Cancer
- Lung cancer clinical trial offers hope
- Learn about a landmark breast cancer clinical trial