What is being done to lessen side effects of treatment?
Cancer researchers are trying to make cancer treatment more effective and lessen its side effects for the cancer patient, including: • new anticancer drugs with less side effects; • better antinausea medicine; • some shorter periods of time on anticancer drugs; • special ways to protect normal tissues during radiation therapy; • new methods of surgery that are less extensive and less damaging to the body; and • psychological support programs and information on ways to cope during difficult times. How patients feel during and after treatment is important.
1. What is a clinical trial? In cancer research, a clinical trial is a study conducted with cancer patients, usually to evaluate a new treatment. Each study is designed to answer scientific questions and to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. The search for good cancer treatments begins with basic research in laboratory and animal studies. The best results of that research are tried in patient studies, hopefully leading to findings that may help many people. Before a new treatment is tried with patients, it is carefully studied in the laboratory. This research points out the new methods most likely to succeed, and, as much as possible, shows how to use them safely and effectively. But this early research cannot predict exactly how a new treatment will work with patients. With any new treatment there may be risks as well as possible benefits. There may also be some risks that are not yet known. Clinical trials help us find out if a promising new treatment is safe and effec
