What Are the Challenges in Cancer Research Design?
Cancer research design faces several challenges:
- Heterogeneity of Cancer: Cancer is not a single disease but a collection of related diseases. This diversity requires complex and often individualized research approaches.
- Longitudinal Nature: Cancer can develop over many years, necessitating long-term studies to understand its progression and the long-term effects of treatments.
- Rapid Advances in Technology: New technologies, like next-generation sequencing, can quickly make existing research designs obsolete, requiring constant adaptation.
- Patient Recruitment: Ensuring a sufficient and representative sample size can be difficult, especially for rare cancers.