Dr. Markman on Endpoints in Clinical Trials for Ovarian Cancer

Maurie Markman, MD, president of medicine and science, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, editor-in-chief, OncologyLive, discusses endpoints in clinical trials for ovarian cancer.

Using overall survival (OS) as a primary endpoint for phase III randomized trials is no longer rational, says Markman. This endpoint assumes that what happens to a patient after they go on the trial is going to be similar for patients on either arm of the study.

Therefore, holding a drug or combination “hostage” to an OS endpoint is irrational and risky, explains Markman.