CANCER TREATMENT RESEARCH – TESTING NEW TREATMENTS – PHASE II STUDIES
May 15th, 2009In Phase II studies, the aim is to find out what human cancers, if any, are sensitive to the new treatment. Although these tests are not usually as unpleasant and dangerous, again only patients who have already had all known effective anti-cancer treatments are asked to take part. Here, because researchers are now mainly trying to find out about effects against cancer, they concentrate on measuring size of cancer growths. If some patients’ growths do get smaller, further testing is carried out on their particular types of cancer in Phase III studies (see below). If none of the first fourteen patients with a certain type of cancer show any reduction in their tumours, the treatment is not usually tested any further. This is because it is most unlikely that the treatment will be effective in a worthwhile proportion of patients with that type of cancer. Again, if your main reason for agreeing to be a research subject is the hope that it will benefit you personally, you are likely to be disappointed.
*136/40/1*
