Soapbox No. 4: NIMBY to the Max

Clinical trials are essential to cancer research. Without clinical trials, new drugs and treatments cannot be approved. No matter how promising a new treatment looks when tested with lab animals, it cannot be used to treat people until it has been carefully evaluated through the several phases of a clinical trial.

Most Americans understand this, and the majority of people surveyed on this issue say that no drugs should be given to people until they have been thoroughly tested for safety and effectiveness in human subjects.

But here's the kicker: The majority of Americans, something like 80 percent, say drugs must be tested on humans, but only about 4 or 5 percent of adult cancer patients actually volunteer to take part in clinical trials themselves.

This is NIMBY-ism on an incredible scale. What do these people (who want the newest and best cancer treatments and want them yesterday) think researchers are going to do, test new drugs on people in the Third World? (Sadly, the answer is probably yes.)

Those of you who don't have cancer aren't off the hook, either. Sign up for a prevention trial, and do your part for humankind.

Having said this, the choice to participate in a clinical trial can be a difficult one.

In addition, I think cancer patients who participate in clinical trials should be given a stipend to compensate them for their time and for the risks they are taking. I'll be writing more on this topic.

@ Jeanne Sather 2006