ETHICAL AND FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS IN 3RD-PARTY SUPPORT OF INVESTIGATIONAL CANCER THERAPIES

The appropriate use of and compensation for investigational cancer the rapies raises a number of ethical, policy-related, and financial consi derations. Ethical considerations include the use of therapeutic regim ens for individuals versus controlled clinical trials, the extent of i nformation necessary to indicate that a therapy may be safe and effect ive, and the informed consent of the patient. Financial concerns inclu de the status of the therapy in the evaluation phase within the Food a nd Drug Administration, the policy of third-party payers, and the curr ent state of medical knowledge. The policy-related considerations are those regarding the use of and payment for investigational therapies.