A first line treatment or first line therapy is a medical therapy recommended for the initial treatment of a disease, sign or symptom, usually on the basis of empirical evidence for its efficacy. See drugs, medication, and pharmacology for substances that are used to treat patients. ... Therapy (in Greek: θεραπεία) or treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a diagnosis. ... A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ... Sign can denote any of the following: Within a writing system, a sign is a basic unit. ... The term symptom (from the Greek syn = con/plus and pipto = fall, together meaning co-exist) has two similar meanings in the context of physical and mental health: A symptom can be a physical condition which shows that one has a particular illness or disorder (see e. ... In general, efficacy is the ability to produce an effect, usually a specifically desired effect. ...

This evidence, often based on scientifically conducted research studies, of which the randomized controlled trial is the gold standard, typically suggests the recommended therapy is most likely to have an effect for the given condition. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is a form of clinical trial, or scientific procedure used in the testing of the efficacy of medicines or medical procedures. ... A gold standard is the best test to determine whether something exists or not. ...

Alternative treatment options, including switching to another treatment, or augmenting the first-line treatment with another treatment, may be recommended if the first line therapy does not ease the symptoms or produces intolerable side effects. Adverse effect, in medicine, is an abnormal, harmful, undesired and/or unintended side-effect, although not necessarily unexpected, which is obtained as the result of a therapy or other medical intervention, such as drug/chemotherapy, physical therapy, surgery, medical procedure, use of a medical device, etc. ...

See also

• medication
• randomized controlled trial
• therapy