We cite the results of numerous studies on a variety of health topics but not everyone understands what trials entail.Clinical trials are research studies in which people help doctors find ways to improve health and cancer care.
Each study is designed to answer scientific questions and/or to find better ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat a disease or illness.
A clinical trial is one of the final stages of a long and careful research process. In cancer patients, studies are done to find out whether promising approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are safe and effective.
There are a variety of different types of trials.
Treatment trials test new treatments
Prevention trials test new approaches, such as medicines, vitamins, minerals, or other supplements that doctors believe may lower the risk of a certain type of cancer.
Screening trials test the best way to find and diagnose a disease in its early stages
Quality of Life trials (also called Supportive Care trials) explore ways to improve comfort and quality of life for patients.
When studying drugs, there are typical phases that the research must go through before it can be submitted for FDA approval.
Phase I trials: These first studies in people evaluate how a new drug should be given (by mouth, injected into the blood, or injected into the muscle), how often, and what dose is safe. A phase I trial usually enrolls only a small number of patients, sometimes as few as a dozen.
Phase II trials: A phase II trial continues to test the safety of the drug, and begins to evaluate how well the new drug works. Phase II studies usually focus on a particular type of disease.
Phase III trials: These studies in patients test a new drug, a new combination of drugs, or a new surgical procedure in comparison to the current standard. A participant will usually be assigned to the standard group or the new group at random. Phase III trials often enroll large numbers of people and may be conducted at many doctors' offices, clinics, and cancer centers nationwide.
Double blinded studies mean that neither the patient nor the physician knows which treatment or drug the patient is receiving.
Valid studies use statistics to determine the confidence levels and any and all biases should be eliminated if possible.
There is no perfect study and it is rare that you find a published study that does not support the premise on which it was based.
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