On Sun, 19 Sep 2010 06:42:57 -0700, Rick Froman wrote: >Interesting article for Research Methods discussions of control and ethics: > From The New York Times: > > TARGET CANCER: New Drugs Stir Debate on Basic Rules of Clinical Trials > > Two cousins developed the same lethal cancer; only one could take part in an > experimental drug trial. Critics say that new science behind the drugs has > eclipsed the old rules, and ethics, of testing > > http://nyti.ms/atqTx7
I may be wrong but didn't we already have this argument when AIDS activists argued against placebo-control trials for testing HIV antiviral drugs? Perhaps it might be useful to draw parallels between HIV drug testing and the new cancer drug testing. There will always be people who will want to be treated even if the treatment is not yet demonstrated to be effective. But how ethical is it to give a person with an illness a drug for the illness that has not been shown to be effective? The real danger, I think, is giving too many unverified treatments in the hope that they will work especially for someone who is important to us. All treatments carry the risk of side/adverse effects, some of which can not be predicted. -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=4988 or send a blank email to leave-4988-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
