The issue of clinical trials has become quite visible in the public eye the last couple of years. Stories about new lifesaving treatments, miracle drugs, the growing biotechnology industry, controversies over certain trials and potential legislation governing them have all been in the news.
But what seems to get lost in this wave of information is the importance of clinical trials and what they mean to all of us.
Quite simply, clinical trials make advances in medical treatment possible. And in many cases, they save thousands of lives. For example, in the 1950s, childhood leukemia was a parent's worst nightmare, with children rarely surviving longer than a few months. Now, thanks to a careful series of clinical trials, some of which were conducted at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, cure rates for childhood leukemia approach 80 percent.
In this issue of Quest, we begin a series of articles about clinical trials in an effort to give you more information about what they are, how they are conducted and why they are important for our present and future health. Currently, too few people participate in clinical trials, slowing medical progress.
To read on, see From the Director.
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