Clinical Trials

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yellow78
yellow78 Member Posts: 82
edited June 2014 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

Hi everyone,

I wanted to get everyones take on clinical trials.  I was offered to do one for Chemo (a new drug)  and I am torned in the middle.  Has anyone done one?

 Any help would be great. Thanks Jenn

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  • otter
    otter Member Posts: 6,099
    edited June 2010

    Jenn, what questions do you have about clinical trials?  I did participate in a really simple one that didn't involve any new treatments.   Clinical trials are the *only* way that new methods for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of breast cancer can be tested to see if they really work in human patients.

    The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has a website where they explain what clinical trials are, how they work, and why they're important.  Here's the site:  http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials

    If your doctors have talked to you about participating in a clinical trial, they probably gave you the name of a contact person (clinical trial coordinator?) who should be able to answer your questions.  You could also post more details about the trial you are considering.  There might be other women here who are participating in that same study or who are familiar with that drug.

    otter

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  • yellow78
    yellow78 Member Posts: 82
    edited June 2010

    Hi,

     Thank you.  The trial is called "double blind Phase III of Doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel with bevacizumab or placebo"  The trial drug is the bevacizumab.  The purpose of the studey is to determine if adding a medication bevacizumab to current standard chemo drugs reduces the risk of recurrence compared to standard chemo alone.  Bevacizumab has been approved by the fda to treat colorectal cancer and has shown improved results in breast cancer patients.  Bevacizumab is a protein that they think that could stop the development of blood vessels that help form tumors. 

    It sounds interesting there are three arms in the study and you will not know which one you are in until you finish the 20-24 weeks of your standard chemo.  One group would have been given the placebo, one will be given the new drug and third will be given the third drug as well but will continue on for another 10 weeks with this drug.  It seems to be very long treatment plan, so I am not sure. 

    Thanks, Jenn

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