Hollings Horizons Winter 2025 - Flipbook - Page 10
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Finding Tomorrow’s
Cures for Cancer
A
dvances in treating cancer over the past
three decades have predominantly come
from scientific research, including the testing
of new medications and procedures. Clinical trials
are studies of new medicines, procedures, and other
types of treatments that doctors and researchers use
to develop new methods of treating serious diseases
like cancer. Yet many aspects of the clinical trials
process are not widely known. Let’s look at some of
the most common questions about clinical trials and
their significance to cancer research and care:
➜ What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials are highly regulated, careful studies that help researchers
and doctors learn new ways to treat cancer and improve outcomes.
They may involve the use of a new drug or drug combination (safety,
side-effects, best dosage and timing), a new medical procedure, device,
or surgical technique.
Clinical trials — for all types of diseases — go through three phases before
FDA approval. Phase I cancer clinical trials typically involve 10-30 patients
to test for safety and whether any side effects are tolerable. Phase II clinical
trials involve 50-100 people to see if the treatment appears to be effective
against the cancer. Phase III clinical trials compare the new treatment
against standard treatment. These trials involve many more people, so
researchers also get better information about side effects.
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HOLLINGS HORIZONS Winter 2025
