In a survey study led by researchers at Emory University, 89 of 95 respondents participating in a Phase I oncology trial misjudged their risk of experiencing adverse effects, their probability of receiving direct benefit, or both. Only 31 responded correctly to questions about the purpose of the trial and their own physician’s involvement in selecting a course of treatment.
Another recent news story focused on patients and families seeking off-label access to bexarotene (Targretin), a drug that currently has FDA approval only for the treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphoma, on the basis of a single preclinical study indicating it may be useful in treating Alzheimer’s disease.
