Lung Cancer - Clinical Trials
A Clinical Trial is one of the concluding stages of a long, highly expensive and painstakingly cautious cancer research procedure. The hunt for new types of cancer killing treatments starts in the laboratory, where scientists first test and expand new ideas, drugs, and treatment strategies.
Developing new cancer treatments is a long slow drawn out process. If in the early stages of a new cancer treatment it looks promising, then scientists and doctors have to consider the next step of their research.
It is often argued that experiments within a laboratory on animals is not always conclusive evidence of how well a treatment works as they often have different effects on animals to people. Therefore it is important that human volunteers are used to test the efficiency of any new medication developed.
Many people who are suffering from some type of cancer are very keen to be involved in cancer studies as sometimes they can mean the difference literally between life and death. Studies conducted on cancer patients discover whether treatments are safe, appropriate, and effective for use by humans.
Many of today's most successful treatments which are now considered to be standard treatments were once the subject of these types of studies. They include treatments for cancers such as breast, rectal, colon and specific childhood cancers. At one time these cancers were all definite killers and it was due to the willingness of human volunteers that enough evidence was produced to prove the treatments worked.
Clinical trials allow doctors and scientists to explore and discover new and more effective ways for dealing with and treating lung cancer. In addition, clinical trials often answer significant scientific questions and recommend future research ideas.
As a direct result of the development made through clinical trials, many people have been successfully treated for cancer and go on to live happy and healthy lives.
Clinical trials and research studies are regularly undertaken to test many types of cancer treatment such as new drugs, new approaches to surgery, new types of radiation therapy, new combinations of existing treatments, and entirely new treatment methods, such as gene therapy.
Taking part in these clinical trials is an option gladly taken up by many lung cancer patients, particularly when existing treatments they have tried have not been suitable or successful.
In some clinical trials, all patients may receive the new treatment, so information on the efficiency of the treatment can be garnered. However in other clinical trials, the researchers often compare multiple therapies and treatment options by giving one treatment to one group of patients and the another treatment, such as a standard or existing treatment, to another group of people.
As a result of these trials, patients receive up-to-date care from cancer experts and as they can often be helped by the new treatment(s) being tested, they often find it improves the overall quality of their life.
Some of the possible advantages of taking part in a clinical trial include:
Clinical trials have to offer a very high standard of cancer care. If you are involved in a clinical study trial and you don't receive the new treatment being tested, you will receive the best treatment that is already available. This needs to be given as the results would otherwise be skewed.
If a new treatment is confirmed to work and you are using it, you will probably be able to take advantage of its effects, especially if it is another few years before a licence becomes available for the treatment.
By taking part in clinical trials, you are taking a proactive role in a decision affecting your future.
You have the chance to help improve cancer treatments therefore helping other people.
Some of the possible disadvantages of taking part in a clinical trial include:
New treatments being studied are not always as good as existing treatments.
The new treatments being tested may have serious or unexpected risks or side-effects.
The new treatments being tested may be less effective than existing standard treatments.
Even if a new treatment has specific benefits, it may not be the right treatment for you, or you may show side effects.
If you receive existing treatment instead of the new treatment being tested, it may not be as successful as the new treatment.
There is no guarantee a new treatment being tested or a standard existing treatment will produce good results or prolong the life of the cancer patient.
Lung Cancer - Overview
Lung Cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages. Many lung cancers begin in the bronchi though others can start in other parts of the lungs. Lung cancer also has a tendency to form in the glands below the bronchi.
Lung Cancer - Probabilities
Lung cancer causes up to 30% of all cancer related deaths, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death among both men and women in western society. 85% of all lung cancers are caused by a person's smoking habit or just by breathing in the second-hand smoke of others.
Lung Cancer - Screening
At this moment in time, there is no particularly useful single test that can be considered 100% reliable for the early detection of lung cancer. Unfortunately unless someone is undergoing a health screen for something completely unrelated, lung cancer is very often only discovered in the later stages of the disease when it is often too late to do anything but offer palliative treatment.
Lung Cancer - Symptoms
The most common indicators and symptoms of lung cancer include the following: Fatigue Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea) A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis Constant chest pain Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis) Swelling of the neck and face Fever Loss of appetite and Weight loss (anorexia) Hoarse voice
Lung Cancer Treatment Options - Radiation
In many cases of lung cancer, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Lung Cancer - Trends by Ethnicity, Sex and Race
In the USA and many other western countries, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Lung cancer has been found to be the leading cancer killer among Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic males.