Ray of hope as new cancer treatments improve at tackling solid tumors

In 10 seconds? Emerging cancer treatments, in general, are performing better in phase 1 clinical trials these days than they have historically. These findings will hopefully encourage cancer patients to participate in early trials.

Can you remind me what phase 1 clinical trials are? Absolutely! After a new cancer treatment has shown promising results in laboratory data (in lab-grown cells or test animals), the treatment may move into phase 1 trials, where a new treatment is tested in patients for the first time. These trials consist of a small number of patients and are done explicitly to test for the safety and appropriate dosing of a new treatment.