Sound Medicine -- August 2, 2003

Hosts Barbara Lewis and Dr. Ora Pescovitz talk to physicians and researchers about:

A Doctor and Researcher's View of Clinical Trials

Clinical Trials from the Perspective of a Patient

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A Doctor and Researcher's View of Clinical Trials

Clinical trials comprise a significant portion of the medical treatments offered to patients today. They're also a critical component of medical research. Dr. Mace Rothenberg, a clinical oncologist and researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discusses balancing the needs of patients while carrying out scientific studies.

Dr Rothenberg says that low participation rates in clinical trials can be attributed to patient anxieties. Some worry about getting a placebo rather than treatment. Others fear an effective treatment will be withheld from them. Still other patients worry insurance will not cover experimental treatments -- despite the fact that these expenses are almost always covered by the institution or pharmaceutical company running the trial.

Negative publicity also accounts for low participation rates. Patients have overwhelmingly positive results, but the few situations where things went wrong tend to be sensationalized, and the extraordinary benefits and successes that have come from clinical trials are under-publicized.

Clinical Trials from a Patient's Perspective

Patty Delaney was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin's disease at the age of 43 and was treated in a clinical trial at the National Cancer Institute. Today she works with the Cancer Liaison Program at the Food and Drug Administration. Her experience as a participant in a clinical trial gives her unique insights into this highly regulated niche within the medical field. She has written about ethical concerns related to clinical trials and works to educate both patients and health care professionals.

Ms. Delaney finds that community practitioners often don't encourage patients to enter trials, believing they can provide superior treatment. But Delaney found many advantages to participating in a clinical trial. As well as learning a lot about Hodgkins, her physicians were solely focussed on the disease, and she appreciated the support of other patients.

She discusses other aspects of participating in trials, including informed consent. Patients should understand why they are participating in the trial, what researchers are they trying to prove, and any possible downsides to the treatment.

General Clinical Trial Resources:

The most comprehensive list of clinical trials we've found is located at Clinical Trials.gov.

Find clinical trials being conducted at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Cancer-Specific Clinical Trials:

The Hoosier Oncology Group (HOG) lists cancer trials ongoing in the state.

Find still more cancer resources in Indiana at the Cancer Index.

Hoosiers can also find clinical trials at the Web site for the Northern Indiana Cancer Research Consortium. Find still more cancer resources in Indiana at the Cancer Index.

Cancer.gov provides extensive listings and resources for many specific types of cancer and various types of trials.

Is there a medical topic you'd like us to cover? Reach us by email: soundmed@iu.edu
or by phone:
(317) 274-4848.

If you procrastinate cleaning the bath tub or have leaky pipes in the house, you'll soon find an ugly greenish-black growth in the area. Now that the recent Indiana floodwaters have receded, houses soaked by the floods may find this growth on everything -- from carpets to walls, even furniture. How quickly does mold start growing on damp surfaces?

A. Within minutes
B. 48 hours
C. 10 hours

Find out!

With the recent flooding throughout the Hoosier state, it seems likely that we will see a greater number of mosquitoes. But does that also mean an increased risk of contracting West Nile Virus?

Find out!

If you are looking for natural ways to fend off mosquitoes, rather than using insect repellents that contain the chemical DEET, try these homegrown remedies.

• Put some water in a white dinner plate and add a couple drops of Lemon Fresh Joy dish detergent. Set the plate on your porch, patio or other outdoor area. Mosquitoes flock to it and die shortly after drinking the mixture, usually within 10 feet of the plate.

• While the dish detergent remedy may not have science backing it, catnip does. Researchers at Iowa State University found that oil in catnip (a perennial herb called Nepeta cataria) is 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than Deet. To make catnip mosquito spritz, use two cups of stemmed catnip and 3-4 cups of mild rice vinegar. Rinse herbs, roll lightly with a rolling pin, place them in a clean quart jar and cover with vinegar. Seal jar and store in a dark cupboard. Shake jar lightly every day for two weeks. Strain into a clean jar, seal and refrigerate for up to 6 months unused. Spray on skin or around outdoor dining areas. (Recipe by Ann Lovejoy, a freelance garden and food writer)

• A diet heavy in garlic can mask the odors of mosquito-drawing chemicals in your body!

• Clean out all mosquito breeding grounds such as dirty gutters, stagnant fountains and birdbaths, leaky pipes and air conditioners. If you have a pond, stock it with predaceous minnows, which feed on mosquitoes.