Research Trials on Mesothelioma

Research Trials on Mesothelioma

A patient's participation in a clinical trial is of utmost importance for investigating new methods of successful treatments of cancer. All over the world, mesothelioma research is being undertaken and their efficacy is being monitored in the fields of immunotherapy, gene therapy and phototherapy.

The approval of a new drug or mesothelioma treatment is given only after comprehensive research trials are successfully completed, Medical and legislative authorities lay down a strict protocol that has to be diligently followed during the research trials. A multiphasic schedule of rules and governance are followed.

Phases of the Clinical Trial.
For a new treatment, the first phase of a clinical trial consists of researchers undertaking a basic and preliminary test whereby the patient's responses are studied to determine the new drug's effectiveness. Only after a successful completion of this phase, can a researcher proceed to the next phases of the clinical trial.

As the drug is new and not yet experimented, it can prove to be a bit risky for the patients, as no specific or guaranteed responses are yet known for the drug. Hence, those patients who have tried all other methods of treatment to no avail, are usually the first participants in this preliminary phase of clinical trial.

During the first phase, the new drug's effectiveness, dosage, method of administration, and other pertinent details are established. Now the researcher is allowed to undertake the second phase of the clinical trial that deals with trying out the new drug with patients who have one or more types of cancer. During the second phase, the number of participants also increases. These patients are those who have undergone other methods of carcinoma treatment similar to phase one patients, but because of their positive reaction of their first treatment course, they have a high chance of benefiting from this second phase clinical trial. The researchers can advance to the third and final stage of the clinical trials only if the first and the second phase proves to be successful.