Inappropriate use of progression-free survival in cancer drug approvals

BMJ

10 March 2020 - New drugs should be judged on overall survival or quality of life, preferably both.

The aim of cancer drugs is to prolong life or improve its quality. Yet only a third of cancer drugs entering the market in Europe and the US have evidence of overall benefits in survival or quality of life. 

Instead, regulators now routinely approve new cancer drugs on the basis of surrogate endpoints that measure disease progression or tumour shrinkage.

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Michael Wonder

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Michael Wonder

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Cancer , England , Medicine , Value