Trials

In the world of medicine innovation, and especially in the realm of oncology, the process of drug development is a long, slow journey. Theoretically moving from the laboratory to the living room, advancement eventually involves actually testing potential new therapies on human beings.  Cancer patients who might be at the beginning of their odyssey, and others who are left with few options and even less hope.  But whatever the need or genetic nuance, an experimental compound needs to be rigorously and carefully tested for future approval and administration.

The home for the awareness and recruitment of these critical clinical trials is: www.clinicaltrials.gov.  A database of privately and publicly funded studies conducted around the world.  Here the precise specifics of the study's target patient population such as: age, gender, location, medical history, exposure or environmental factors are listed. Cross-referencing this information can help someone find a possible opportunity to learn about or even participate in a drug trial seeking to address their needs or disease.

For cancer treatment research: the timeline for development is longer, the data required is greater, the sampling sizes need to be larger and the recruitment process is more challenging. The probability of finding a study that matches can be very limited, and the results can be extremely uncertain, but the importance of this research cannot be overstated.  My work within the pharmaceutical milieu, and the success of my personal treatment voyage, remind me of the universal benefit for science and the individual value to a patient that clinical trials provide.  I literally wouldn't be here without them.