AplusB: A Web Application for Investigating A + B Designs for Phase I Cancer Clinical Trials

PLoS One. 2016 Jul 12;11(7):e0159026. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159026. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

In phase I cancer clinical trials, the maximum tolerated dose of a new drug is often found by a dose-escalation method known as the A + B design. We have developed an interactive web application, AplusB, which computes and returns exact operating characteristics of A + B trial designs. The application has a graphical user interface (GUI), requires no programming knowledge and is free to access and use on any device that can open an internet browser. A customised report is available for download for each design that contains tabulated operating characteristics and informative plots, which can then be compared with other dose-escalation methods. We present a step-by-step guide on how to use this application and provide several illustrative examples of its capabilities.

MeSH terms

  • Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic / methods*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Humans
  • Internet*
  • Maximum Tolerated Dose
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Programming Languages*
  • Research Design*
  • User-Computer Interface