Cancer expert given experimental treatments for incurable brain tumour
I applaud these researchers, but I have to admit this quote made my blood boil:<p>&gt;&gt; &quot;I can only do this because I&#x27;m a cancer researcher and clinician and so inherently understand the risks,&quot; he said.<p>As a cancer survivor, and someone who lost a loved one to glioblastoma, I despise this mindset. The idea that us &quot;common folk&quot; aren&#x27;t intelligent or educated enough to make the decision to join risky trials is maddening.<p>I fully understand and support this mindset when it&#x27;s regarding minor diseases. But if someone has 6-9 months to live, and zero chance of survival, I think they have every right to choose to be used as guinea pigs.<p>I know my relative would have LEAPED at this sort of opportunity. She was given 6-10 months, and was dead by 4.<p>At the time, there was an on-going trial she was rejected for, because she had a minor preexisting condition, and thus is it was &quot;too risky.&quot; I remember her saying that she would rather die in 2 weeks and help push science forward, then helplessly linger for a couple more months.<p>I am hopeful that the rapid development of the COVID vaccine may have flipped a switch in biotech, and may lead to more risky and experimental trials for truly deadly diseases, such as glioblastoma.<p>If not, I will continue to look to China for hopeful developments. They seem to have more relaxed barriers for trials, and I firmly believe this is one of the reasons their biotech industry is exploding at such a rapid pace.