Reply #105: And sometimes the drug does work, but presents other problems.

[Contrary1]

As someone who has participated in a clinical trial for a promising cancer treatment, I may have a better understanding than some.

The drug I took was shown to be effective in slowing, and in some cases, even stopping the growth of cancer. The problem was getting a tolerable dosage level.

I was in a very small study group, about 65 women. By the end of 3 months, one-third had dropped out because of side effects. By the 6th month, I was experiencing so much joint pain, that I could barely walk. I did not want to leave the study, so I opted for a lesser dose. Initially, that helped, but after about 3 months on the lower dose, I was back to the same level of discomfort.

I finished the year. There were only about 15 of us still participating at that time. In the end, I told the doctor that if I had to endure that type of pain to stay alive, I would seriously think about whether I would want to.