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Is toxicity really necessary? III. Theoretical aspects
Author(s) -
Bross Irwin D. J.,
Rimm Alfred A.,
Slack Nelson H.,
Ausman Robert K.,
Jones Ralph
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(196612)19:12<1796::aid-cncr2820191206>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - argument (complex analysis) , medicine , epistemology , clinical trial , computer science , pathology , philosophy
The choice of a dosage level for use in clinical trials designed to test the antitumor activity of chemotherapeutic agents is discussed from a theoretic viewpoint, with the question of the necessity of toxicity being the central topic. Three senses of “necessary” are discussed and the verbal discussion is paralleled by a formal argument in a mathematical language. The mathematical model developed focuses on different possibilities that are inherent in different experimental situations. Though it does not clarify the situation with regard to the present data, it clearly defines the quesions which should be answered by subsequent studies.