This book describes the evolution of treatment in oncology through the lens of approximately 250 landmark clinical trials. The well-designed clinical trial is essential to the practice of medicine. There is no field that has embraced or been transformed more by the clinical trial than oncology. Each primary cancer site has a remarkable story that can be told through clinical trials. For example, patients who presented decades ago with soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities would invariably undergo limb amputation. The landmark National Cancer Institute study by Rosenberg et al. randomized patients to limb sparing surgery followed by adjuvant radiation therapy compared with limb amputation. This study helped change the standard of care by allowing most patients to retain their functioning limbs with an improvement in quality of life and no compromise in overall survival. Such major clinical trials for common malignancies including breast, prostate, lung, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and gynecologic cancers are discussed. Because oncology is multidisciplinary, this book should be of interest for radiation oncologists, surgeons, medical oncologists, and other physicians interested in learning more about the landmark trials that have shaped oncology.

The third edition of the bestselling Clinical Trials in Oncology provides a concise, nontechnical, and thoroughly up-to-date review of methods and issues related to cancer clinical trials. The authors emphasize the importance of proper study design, analysis, and data management and identify the pitfalls inherent in these processes. In addition, the book has been restructured to have separate chapters and expanded discussions on general clinical trials issues, and issues specific to Phases I, II, and III. New sections cover innovations in Phase I designs, randomized Phase II designs, and overcoming the challenges of array data. Although this book focuses on cancer trials, the same issues and concepts are important in any clinical setting. As always, the authors use clear, lucid prose and a multitude of real-world examples to convey the principles of successful trials without the need for a strong statistics or mathematics background. Armed with Clinical Trials in Oncology, Third Edition, clinicians and statisticians can avoid the many hazards that can jeopardize the success of a trial.

Clinical trials are the engine of progress in the development of new drugs and devices for the detection, monitoring, prevention and treatment of cancer. A well conceived, carefully designed and efficiently conducted clinical trial can produce results that change clinical practice overnight, deliver new oncology drugs and diagnostics to the marketplace, and expand the horizon of contemporary thinking about cancer biology. A poorly done trial does little to advance the field or guide clinical practice, consumes precious clinical and financial resources and challenges the validity of the ethical contract between investigators and the volunteers who willingly give their time and effort to benefit future patients. With chapters written by oncologists, researchers, biostatisticians, clinical research administrators, and industry and FDA representatives, Oncology Clinical Trials, provides a comprehensive guide for both early-career and senior oncology investigators into the successful design, conduct and analysis of an oncology clinical trial. Oncology Clinical Trials covers how to formulate a study question, selecting a study population, study design of Phase I, II, and III trials, toxicity monitoring, data analysis and reporting, use of genomics, cost-effectiveness analysis, systemic review and meta-analysis, and many other issues. Many examples of real-life flaws in clinical trials that have been reported in the literature are included throughout. The book discusses clinical trials from start to finish focusing on real-life examples in the development, design and analysis of clinical trials. Oncology Clinical Trials features: A systematic guide to all aspects of the design, conduct, analysis, and reporting of clinical trials in oncology Contributions from oncologists, researchers, biostatisticians, clinical research administrators, and industry and FDA representatives Hot topics in oncology trials including multi-arm trials, meta-analysis and adaptive design, use of genomics, and cost-effectiveness analysis Real-life examples from reported clinical trials included throughout

There were no medical oncologists until a few decades ago. In the early 1960s, not only were there no such specialists, many practitioners regarded the treatment of terminally-ill cancer patients with heroic courses of chemotherapy as highly questionable. Physicians loath to assign patients randomly to competing treatments also expressed their outright opposition to the randomized clinical trials that were then relatively rare. And yet today these trials form the basis of medical oncology. How did such a spectacular change occur? How did medical oncology move from a non-entity and in some regards a reviled practice to the central position it now occupies in modern medicine? Cancer on Trial answers these questions by exploring how practitioners established a new style of practice, at the center of which lies the cancer clinical trial.

Breast cancer, its causes, early detection and treatment have received considerable attention, since this widespread disease is one of the most important health concerns for women. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of the management of early-stage breast cancer, including essential information on basic topics like pathology, and radiology, as well as the latest developments. Further, it discusses all aspects of surgical care, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, together with the controversies and current management guidelines. Helping readers acquire a deep, holistic understanding of the topic, the book is a valuable resource for practitioners and postgraduate students in the field of gynecologic oncology. Moreover, it is a useful aid to decision-making in day-to-day practice for oncologists, residents, fellows and experienced practitioners.

Gynecologic Oncology Clinical Trials Review: Landmark Studies in Uterine Cancer represents a comprehensive review and synopsis of pivotal trials in uterine cancer. It is designed for ease of use and ready comprehension, with its topics divided into disease stages and studies in chronological order. Its reader-friendly format, condensation of entire clinical trials into salient highlights, discussion of limitations, areas of controversy and the clinical impact of the trial provides a succinct yet detailed synopsis of important studies. This Gynecologic Oncology Clinical Trials Book aims to serve as an indispensable resource for gynecologic oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists, fellows and residents, as well as a study resource and reference.Gynecologic Oncology Clinical Trials Review: Landmark Studies in Uterine Cancer represents the first installment, with subsequent releases of ovarian cancer, cervix cancer, and vulvar cancer planned.

The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program has played a key role in developing new and improved cancer therapies. However, the program is falling short of its potential, and the IOM recommends changes that aim to transform the Cooperative Group Program into a dynamic system that efficiently responds to emerging scientific knowledge; involves broad cooperation of stakeholders; and leverages evolving technologies to provide high-quality, practice-changing research.