Adjuvant Therapy — What It Means in Clinical Trials
Plain English Definition
Adjuvant therapy is additional treatment given after the main treatment (usually surgery) to reduce the chance of the disease coming back. For example, chemotherapy given after tumor removal is adjuvant chemotherapy. The cancer has been removed, but adjuvant therapy targets any microscopic cells that might remain.
Why It Matters
If you have had surgery and your doctor recommends adjuvant therapy, a clinical trial might offer a newer or potentially better option than standard adjuvant treatment.
Example
A listing might say: "Adjuvant immunotherapy for patients with resected Stage III melanoma." This means the melanoma has been surgically removed and the trial drug aims to prevent recurrence.
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