logoalt Hacker News

grokcodecyesterday at 3:51 PM4 repliesview on HN

In other news, your barber thinks you need a haircut. Until there is a proven net overall health benefit to this therapy, I wouldn't waste much ink on it. Also, can someone please tell me how one controls the dose for an mRNA therapy ?


Replies

rob74yesterday at 3:57 PM

If you actually had melanoma (a very aggressive type of skin cancer) you would be glad for one more chance of maybe still being alive a few years from now.

show 1 reply
preg_matchyesterday at 8:24 PM

Cancer treatment is different. We have a high tolerance for side effects because many cancers are aggressive and deadly. It's a risk-analysis. If your odds of dying from cancer in the next year are 50%, and the drugs have a 25% chance of killing you, then the drugs are worth it.

In actuality, even extremely aggressive therapies like high-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell transplant have shockingly low risk of death. Less than 5%. Bear in mind, that's for a therapy that literally wipes out all of your bone marrow. You know, the part of your body that produces your blood? Your body stops making blood and your immune system. And yet, we've gotten the death rate as low as it is.

show 1 reply
Plutoberthyesterday at 7:07 PM

A successful phase 3 trial means that the drug is actually effective, not just safe. That's what they test in phase 3.

show 1 reply
xboxnolifesyesterday at 7:03 PM

How does one control the dose for anything? Why are you worried about mRNA vaccines in particular?

show 1 reply