"In 2009, about 562,340 Americans were expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 people a day"¹.
Over the past several decades, significant advancements have been made in the treatment of cancer but the death toll is still too high.
Cancer doctors are limited in how they can treat people with cancer. The most common treatment approach is called the current "standard of care". The current standard of care refers to a treatment that has been studied in clinical trials, where it was proven more effective than the previous standard of care.
Other than the current standard of care, doctors may consider a patient for one or more clinical trials. Clinical trials compare new treatments to the current standard of care to see which is more effective. The purpose of almost every clinical trial is to improve upon or replace the current standard of care with something more effective.
If your doctor is recommending the current standard of care, ask about long-term survival rates. This will be an estimate based on the survival rates of others that have been treated in this way. If you are okay with what you hear, then the current standard of care is probably the right choice for you. If you are not okay with what you hear, DEMAND to know more about clinical trials. If you doctor cannot present you with some clinical trial options, find a doctor who can!
1 American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2009. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2009.
