Neoplasm Metastasis — Direct Injection of Alcohol for the Treatment of Spinal Tumors
Citation(s)
Heiss JD, Doppman JL, Oldfield EH Brief report: relief of spinal cord compression from vertebral hemangioma by intralesional injection of absolute ethanol. N Engl J Med. 1994 Aug 25;331(8):508-11.
Heiss JD, Doppman JL, Oldfield EH Treatment of vertebral hemangioma by intralesional injection of absolute ethanol. N Engl J Med. 1996 May 16;334(20):1340.
Lonser RR, Heiss JD, Oldfield EH Tumor devascularization by intratumoral ethanol injection during surgery. Technical note. J Neurosurg. 1998 May;88(5):923-4.
Study of the Efficacy of Direct Intratumoral Injection of Absolute Ethanol in Treating Symptomatic Spinal Tumors
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.
