Consumer Updates > Would Your Child Benefit from a Clinical Trial?

Consumer Updates > Would Your Child Benefit from a Clinical Trial?

Would your child benefit from a Clinical Trial?You may have heard of clinical trials, and your doctor may even have suggested your child enroll in one. Clinical trials are voluntary research studies conducted in people and designed to answer specific questions about the safety and/or effectiveness of drugs, vaccines, other therapies, or new ways of using existing treatments. If your child were to enroll in one, he or she could be offered a new treatment that may (or may not) be better than those already being used. By law, giving a study drug to children must provide a potential for clinical benefit that justifies the risk of taking the drug, and the children who participate must have the disease or condition being studied. Under limited circumstances, children may be exposed to the risks of a drug (or other intervention) that does not offer any clinical benefit, provided that the risks are sufficiently low and the information to be gained is important to understanding or improving the disease or condition. In addition, clinical trials yield important information on a drug’s safety, dosing, and/or effectiveness. Together, this information forms the basis for FDA approval; in addition, it guides whatever information goes in the product label, including about the right dose to use for which patients. More information

Colorectal Cancer: What You Should KnowLast year in the United States, more than 136,000 people were diagnosed with—and more than 50,000 died from—colorectal cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, striking some groups more often than others. The toll this disease takes on minorities is especially high, said Jonca Bull, M.D., director of FDA’s Office of Minority Health. Populations with limited access to screening and early treatment die much more often from the disease—African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians and Alaska Natives. But there is a way of confronting this hazard, she added: “Early detection, referral, and treatment can significantly reduce disparities in deaths from colorectal cancer.” Screening Saves Lives Colorectal cancer usually starts from polyps or other precancerous growths in the rectum or the colon (large intestine). People with precancerous growths or signs of colorectal cancer don’t always show symptoms. That’s why screening is important—doctors can see and remove growths or suspicious tissue before they become cancerous. More information

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