One of the benefits of participating in a clinical trial is more frequent monitoring of you and your cancer. In addition to receiving the study drug(s) at a visit, you are also being monitored to see how you and your cancer are responding to the drug(s). Researchers are collecting information and learning from you to measure the specific outcome(s) of the trial.
The study’s outcome, also called an endpoint, is what is being measured to determine a trial’s success. Treatment trials often measure success by looking at overall survival (how long you live) and progression-free survival (how long you are on treatment before your cancer starts to grow). Patient-reported outcomes, such as reports on side effects and how you are feeling, capture your perspective without interpretation by a doctor or anyone else. Other outcomes are also under investigation.
Read below to learn more about what your clinical trial may be measuring.
Overall Survival and Progression-Free Survival
- Metastatic Trial Talk: OS vs. PFS: What You Need to Know
- Cancer Today: Measuring Treatment Effectiveness: Overall Survival and Progression-Free Survival
- Roche: Overall Survival and Progression-Free Survival
Patient-Reported Outcomes
- Metastatic Trial Talk: Patient-Reported Outcomes in Clinical Trials
- ASCO: Patient-Reported Outcomes in Cancer Trials
- National Cancer Institute: Patient-Reported Outcomes in Cancer Clinical Trials
Other Outcomes Measured in Cancer Clinical Trials
- Friends of Cancer Research: Clinical Trial Endpoints, the Outcomes Measured in a Trial
- Genentech: Explanation of Different Endpoints, the Outcomes Measured in a Trial
- PracticeUpdate (Article and Video): Any Regression of Tumor (ART)
Last Modified on September 27, 2023