Maintenance Therapy — What It Means in Clinical Trials
Plain English Definition
Maintenance therapy is ongoing treatment given after the initial treatment has worked, to keep the disease from coming back. It is typically a lower dose or a less intense regimen than the initial treatment, designed for long-term use with manageable side effects.
Why It Matters
Maintenance therapy trials are relevant if your initial treatment was successful and your doctor wants to keep the disease under control. These trials often have longer durations but may involve less intensive treatment.
Example
A listing might say: "Maintenance therapy with Drug X for patients who achieved stable disease or better after 6 cycles of chemotherapy."
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