Clinical trials are studies of new drugs to test their effectiveness and safety on humans. There are Clinical trials in progress for drugs for a wide range of illnesses, including mesothelioma. There are benefits and pitfalls to participating in such trails and it is vital that you understand these beforehand. For example, you may need to travel further to be treated at a larger cancer center for even just your routine tests and treatments. However, you will be treated by the best doctors who are considered experts in their field, usually at the best facilities. You should also consider the risk that whilst the drug you are using may eventually be proved to be a wonder drug it could also be proved to be less effective than the current available treatments.
The criteria for eligibility for clinical trials varies. There are some trials which require that you have had no treatment prior to starting and others that will only allow participation after other treatments have failed. Your doctor will be able to advise on the suitability of each trial.
In order to test the new drug against the current standard some trials work by giving half the patients the new drug and half a current drug. You will be told if this is to be the case beforehand. The use of placebos, where the pill is a fake and contains no active ingredients, is rare in cancer trials.
All clinical trials are divided into phases
Phase I
Enrol a small group in order to test how the drugs and procedures should be administered.
Phase II
Provides early information about the success rate, safety and benefits of the new drug or procedure.
Phase III
Where drugs or treatments appear promising they are compared against the current standard using a larger group of candidates.
Anyone interested in participating in a clinical trial should discuss the particular trial thoroughly with their doctor before a making a decision on whether it is right for them.
Author: andy bowen
Showing posts with label risk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label risk. Show all posts
Saturday, August 8, 2009
:: Asbestos And Mesothelioma ::
The following article presents the information on Asbestos & Mesothelioma. If you have a particular interest in Asbestos & Mesothelioma, then this informative article is required reading.
Asbestos is a carcinogenic, fibrous mineral, which is at times used in construction, usually for insulating purposes. People who live or work in conditions where they are exposed to asbestos fibers run the risk of developing mesothelioma. Despite its health hazards, asbestos is often used in construction due to the fact that it is relatively a cheap material.
Consequently, construction workers exposed to the mineral, as well as their families, are most at risk of developing this rare form of cancer. Workers bring home the carcinogenic fibers as traces on their clothes, thereby exposing family members to the danger of developing the cancer. A few weeks of exposure to asbestos can be enough to cause mesothelioma. However, in general mesothelioma has a latency period of 35-40 years from the time of exposure to asbestos to the actual development of symptoms.
Think about what you've read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about Asbestos & Mesothelioma? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?
Older buildings that have exposed insulation that contains asbestos, or other areas where asbestos fibers are disturbed or exposed, need to be checked by professionals and repaired or removed. Asbestos fixed firmly and used as insulation within enclosed areas such as walls and pipes is not likely to pose a health hazard with regard to malignant pleural mesothelioma, as long as it is not sawed, drilled or in any other manner that could cause the asbestos fibers to be diffused into the air, and be breathed in.
There is no safe level of exposure. Consequently, people who work with asbestos need to ensure that they are protected from exposure and that they do not bring asbestos dust on their clothes home to their families. Smoking, together with exposure to levels of asbestos can increase the chances of this cancer developing. However, not all those exposed to asbestos develop mesothelioma cancer, as genetic factors are involved.
Mesothelioma asbestos poisoning is usually fatal, and death often results within a relatively short span of time from the period when the symptoms first manifest themselves.
Author: Mark Hayes
Asbestos is a carcinogenic, fibrous mineral, which is at times used in construction, usually for insulating purposes. People who live or work in conditions where they are exposed to asbestos fibers run the risk of developing mesothelioma. Despite its health hazards, asbestos is often used in construction due to the fact that it is relatively a cheap material.
Consequently, construction workers exposed to the mineral, as well as their families, are most at risk of developing this rare form of cancer. Workers bring home the carcinogenic fibers as traces on their clothes, thereby exposing family members to the danger of developing the cancer. A few weeks of exposure to asbestos can be enough to cause mesothelioma. However, in general mesothelioma has a latency period of 35-40 years from the time of exposure to asbestos to the actual development of symptoms.
Think about what you've read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about Asbestos & Mesothelioma? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?
Older buildings that have exposed insulation that contains asbestos, or other areas where asbestos fibers are disturbed or exposed, need to be checked by professionals and repaired or removed. Asbestos fixed firmly and used as insulation within enclosed areas such as walls and pipes is not likely to pose a health hazard with regard to malignant pleural mesothelioma, as long as it is not sawed, drilled or in any other manner that could cause the asbestos fibers to be diffused into the air, and be breathed in.
There is no safe level of exposure. Consequently, people who work with asbestos need to ensure that they are protected from exposure and that they do not bring asbestos dust on their clothes home to their families. Smoking, together with exposure to levels of asbestos can increase the chances of this cancer developing. However, not all those exposed to asbestos develop mesothelioma cancer, as genetic factors are involved.
Mesothelioma asbestos poisoning is usually fatal, and death often results within a relatively short span of time from the period when the symptoms first manifest themselves.
Author: Mark Hayes
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