Thinking Systematically About the Off-Label Use of Cancer Drugs and Combinations for Patients Who Have Exhausted Proven Therapies

Sham Mailankody; Vinay Prasad

doi:10.1634/theoncologist.2016-0086

Thinking Systematically About the Off-Label Use of Cancer Drugs and Combinations for Patients Who Have Exhausted Proven Therapies

Oncologist. 2016 Sep;21(9):1031-2. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2016-0086. Epub 2016 Jul 8.

Authors

Sham Mailankody¹, Vinay Prasad²

Affiliations

¹ Myeloma Service, Division of Hematologic Malignancies, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
² Division of Hematology Oncology, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA Center for Health Care Ethics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA prasad@ohsu.edu.

Abstract

This article explores the circumstances under which providers and patients should be able to attempt drugs or combinations for indications for which we still lack formal clinical trials.

MeSH terms

Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
Clinical Trials as Topic
Humans
Neoplasms / drug therapy*
Off-Label Use

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents