Comment on Days of Awe: The clinical trial drug that might save my husband's lifeparentComments−refurb2yYou never know how people will going to respondThat’s the thing. You might read “drug extends median overall survival by 3 months”.Big deal right?Well that’s the median. In reality it looks more like:- 5% see a complete response (cure)- 40% see a partial response- 55% see no responseAnd of those 40% who see a partial response the median is 3 months but the range is 1 to 29 months.So now do you do it? 1 in 20 chance of a cure and 1 in 20 chance of two more years of life and a 1 in 10 chance of 1 more year of life.
Comments
You never know how people will going to respond
That’s the thing. You might read “drug extends median overall survival by 3 months”.
Big deal right?
Well that’s the median. In reality it looks more like:
- 5% see a complete response (cure)
- 40% see a partial response
- 55% see no response
And of those 40% who see a partial response the median is 3 months but the range is 1 to 29 months.
So now do you do it? 1 in 20 chance of a cure and 1 in 20 chance of two more years of life and a 1 in 10 chance of 1 more year of life.