Gould MK, Maclean CC, Kuschner WG, Rydzak CE, Owens DK Accuracy of positron emission tomography for diagnosis of pulmonary nodules and mass lesions: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2001 Feb 21;285(7):914-24. doi: 10.1001/jama.285.7.914.
Harkenrider MM, Bertke MH, Dunlap NE Stereotactic body radiation therapy for unbiopsied early-stage lung cancer: a multi-institutional analysis. Am J Clin Oncol. 2014 Aug;37(4):337-42. doi: 10.1097/COC.0b013e318277d822.
Kupelian PA, Komaki R, Allen P Prognostic factors in the treatment of node-negative nonsmall cell lung carcinoma with radiotherapy alone. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1996 Oct 1;36(3):607-13. doi: 10.1016/s0360-3016(96)00364-1.
Qiao X, Tullgren O, Lax I, Sirzen F, Lewensohn R The role of radiotherapy in treatment of stage I non-small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer. 2003 Jul;41(1):1-11. doi: 10.1016/s0169-5002(03)00152-1.
Sibley GS, Jamieson TA, Marks LB, Anscher MS, Prosnitz LR Radiotherapy alone for medically inoperable stage I non-small-cell lung cancer: the Duke experience. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1998 Jan 1;40(1):149-54. doi: 10.1016/s0360-3016(97)00589-0.
Siegel R, Ma J, Zou Z, Jemal A Cancer statistics, 2014. CA Cancer J Clin. 2014 Jan-Feb;64(1):9-29. doi: 10.3322/caac.21208. Epub 2014 Jan 7. Erratum In: CA Cancer J Clin. 2014 Sep-Oct;64(5):364.
Takeda A, Kunieda E, Sanuki N, Aoki Y, Oku Y, Handa H Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for solitary pulmonary nodules clinically diagnosed as lung cancer with no pathological confirmation: comparison with non-small-cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer. 201
Timmerman RD An overview of hypofractionation and introduction to this issue of seminars in radiation oncology. Semin Radiat Oncol. 2008 Oct;18(4):215-22. doi: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2008.04.001. No abstract available.
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.
