Cancer patients may be overly optimistic about early drug trial participation

By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) – People with cancer may overestimate the possible benefits to them of participating in an early trial of a new medicine, even after talking with a doctor about what to expect, according to a new study from the U.K. So-called phase 1 trials of experimental treatments are intended to test the drug’s safety. Just 4 percent to 20 percent of participants may see their cancer respond to the drug, the authors write in the journal Cancer.

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Cancer patients may be overly optimistic about early drug trial participation