Why is off-label use of drugs so common in cancer treatment?
A 1991 study by the U.S. General Accounting Office found that one-third of the drug treatments performed by cancer doctors were off-label; more than half of cancer patients received at least one drug for an off-label indication. A 1997 survey of 200 cancer doctors by the American Enterprise Institute and the American Cancer Society found that 60 percent of them prescribed drugs off-label. Frequently the standard of care for a particular type or stage of cancer involves the off-label use of one or more drugs. Off-label use of drugs is widespread in cancer treatment for several reasons. Some cancer drugs are found to be effective against a variety of tumor types. The mechanism of action of a drug or biologic (the way it works in the body) often suggests that it might be effective against tumor types other than those for which it is approved. For example, cisplatin (brand name, Platinol®) works to halt the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells by interrupting the copying of DNA in growing c
