Esophageal Cancer — Palliative Radiotherapy and Brachytherapy for Oesophageal Cancer Dysphagia
Citation(s)
Gaspar LE, Nag S, Herskovic A, Mantravadi R, Speiser B American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) consensus guidelines for brachytherapy of esophageal cancer. Clinical Research Committee, American Brachytherapy Society, Philadelphia, PA. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1997 Apr 1;38(1):127-32.
Kumar MU, Swamy K, Supe SS, Anantha N Influence of intraluminal brachytherapy dose on complications in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1993 Dec 1;27(5):1069-72.
Sur RK, Donde B, Levin VC, Mannell A Fractionated high dose rate intraluminal brachytherapy in palliation of advanced esophageal cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1998 Jan 15;40(2):447-53.
Sur RK, Levin CV, Donde B, Sharma V, Miszczyk L, Nag S Prospective randomized trial of HDR brachytherapy as a sole modality in palliation of advanced esophageal carcinoma--an International Atomic Energy Agency study. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2002 May 1;53(1):127-33.
Improving Outcomes in Radiotherapy Using New Strategies of Treatment Delivery With Focus on Oesophageal Cancer.
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.
