Breast Cancer — Effect of Radiotherapy Variables on Circulating Effectors of Immune Response and Local Microbiome
Citation(s)
Formenti SC, Demaria S Combining radiotherapy and cancer immunotherapy: a paradigm shift. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013 Feb 20;105(4):256-65. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djs629. Epub 2013 Jan 4. Review.
Formenti SC, Demaria S Radiation therapy to convert the tumor into an in situ vaccine. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Nov 15;84(4):879-80. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2012.06.020.
Effect of Radiotherapy Variables on Circulating Effectors of Immune Response and Local Microbiome
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
