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Oncology trials--the elephant in the room

Authors :
Lisa Hutchinson
Rebecca Kirk
Source :
Nature reviews. Clinical oncology. 9(4)
Publication Year :
2012

Abstract

Each year, when new annual cancer incidence and mortality statistics are published, the media are quick and happy to report that cancer mortality is reducing, despite some increases in incidence. There is a lot for the oncology community to celebrate and be proud of in these declining mortality rates and the decades of work that have produced them. However, late-phase clinical trials for anticancer drugs have the highest failure rates of all the clinical areas.1 Furthermore, those drugs that are successful often do not provide sufficient improvement on already available therapies, meaning that health-care providers often cannot afford to make them available to the patients they were designed for.2 Against this backdrop, it is time to discuss oncology clinical trials—the elephant in the room.

Details

ISSN :
17594782
Volume :
9
Issue :
4
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Nature reviews. Clinical oncology
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....b423dc658365220a9d71f798d9305e41