expanded access
A way to provide an investigational therapy to a patient who is not eligible to receive that therapy in a clinical trial, but who has a serious or life-threatening illness for which other treatments are not available. Expanded access allows patients to receive promising but not yet fully studied or approved cancer therapies when no other treatment option exists. Also called compassionate use.
expectant management
Closely watching a patient’s condition but not giving treatment unless symptoms appear or change, or there are changes in test results. Expectant management avoids problems that may be caused by treatments such as radiation or surgery. It is used to find early signs that the condition is getting worse. During expectant management, patients may be given certain exams and tests. It is sometimes used in prostate cancer. Also called deferred therapy.
experimental
In clinical trials, refers to a drug (including a new drug, dose, combination, or route of administration) or procedure that has undergone basic laboratory testing and received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be tested in human subjects. A drug or procedure may be approved by the FDA for use in one disease or condition, but be considered experimental in other diseases or conditions. Also called investigational.
experimental drug
A substance that has been tested in the laboratory and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for testing in people. Clinical trials test how well experimental drugs work and whether they are safe to use. An experimental drug may be approved by the FDA for use in one disease or condition but still be considered investigational in other diseases or conditions. Also called IND, investigational agent, investigational drug, and investigational new drug.
experimental group
The group in a clinical research study that receives the drug, vaccine, or other intervention being tested. Interventions may also include medical procedures (such as radiation therapy and surgery), medical devices, behavior changes (such as diet and exercise), education programs, and counseling. Also called intervention group and investigational group.
explanation of benefits
A summary of the costs of a medical treatment or other healthcare service that an insurance company may send to a patient after the patient has received the service. An explanation of benefits usually includes the date the patient received the service, how much the service cost, how much the health insurance plan paid, and how much the patient may need to pay the healthcare provider. Also called EOB.
exploratory surgery
Surgery to look inside the body to help make a diagnosis.
extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
Cancer has spread outside of the lung in which it began or to other parts of the body.
external radiation therapy
A type of radiation therapy that uses a machine to aim high-energy rays at the cancer from outside of the body. Also called external-beam radiation therapy.
external right atrial catheter
A thin, flexible tube that is inserted into a vein in the neck or below the collar bone and guided (threaded) into the right atrium of the heart. It is used to give intravenous fluids, blood transfusions, and chemotherapy and other drugs, and for taking blood samples. It avoids the need for repeated needle sticks. An external right atrial catheter is a type of central venous access device.
