on/off for 7 days

19:36 May 7, 2016 

OK, that does at least confirm that the comparison is between continuous and alternating treatment.

I think the others are right — it can be read differently if we look at it as
"once a day for 7 days ‎on / off for 7 days" or "once a day for 7 days ‎on / 7 days off"

19:30 May 7, 2016 

This is an investigational ‎medication for bladder cancer. It is just a patient Flyer, so no more information provided. All I know is that • One group will receive the investigational ‎medication intermittently (once a day for 7 days ‎on/off for 7 days) over 28 day treatment cycles. • The second group will receive the investigational ‎medication daily over 28 day treatment cycles

06:55 May 7, 2016 

Yes, that's true (about the preceding 'once a day'); I just meant that people drafting these things should be expected to express themselves precisely, and "on/off" seems like a very loose expression in the context.

06:53 May 7, 2016 

Indeed the 7 days on/7 days off pattern is so common that you might say it is the expected meaning of "intermittent" in clinical trials. For example, here they say "Intermittent capecitabine (1000 mg/m2 orally twice-daily days 1-7)", and say nothing about the next seven days, just "Treatment cycles repeated every 2 weeks", but below the "Methodology" section they add this note:

"Each cycle is 14 days in length (14-day cycles consisting of 7 days treatment followed by 7 days without treatment)."
http://www.roche-trials.com/studyResultGet.action?studyResul...

My feeling (but I'm not a medical expert) is that switching to alternate days in the second week wouldn't tell you much; what you want is to see what happens when the medication is given then removed, with time to be eliminated from the system.

06:53 May 7, 2016 

I think 'on/off' would only (potentially) suggest 'alternate days' because it opposes the preceding 'once a day'.
I do agree with you, though, about the commoner pattern.

06:40 May 7, 2016 

I think the intended meaning is probably the one Gabriele suggests, since X days on followed by X days off is a common intermittent pattern, whereas X days daily followed by X days every other day is a less plausible pattern, to me. Moreover, "on/off" doesn't strike me as a likely way of specifying "on alternate days", if that is what they mean. However, Tony is right that it is not unambiguous, and I agree with the suggestion of consulting the client. It's too important to risk getting it wrong.

06:02 May 7, 2016 

Yes, that is what I meant, it would have the meaning I suggested, and that a medical expert may not be able to help with ambiguous wording. :)

05:54 May 7, 2016 

I don't think it is unclear, but it is certainly sufficiently ambiguous to be risky.

I don't agree with your comment "the 'on' seems surplus to requirement" — without the 'on', there would have been no doubt it would have the meaning you have suggested in your answer; it is the very presence of the expression 'on/off' that tends to cast the doubt.

The opinion of a medical expert might indeed help — particularly if we had any idea what this treatment might be for. They would also probably know if either (or both) of these schemes is common practice in the profession.

05:50 May 7, 2016 

I don't think it is clear, but this is another way of looking at it.

05:47 May 7, 2016 

That makes a lot of sense, I have changed my mind about my answer.

05:45 May 7, 2016 

I hadn't thought of that, but the 'on' seems surplus to requirement and a comma might help? I am not sure a medical expert could help, but maybe it would be best to ask as this could be critical.

05:33 May 7, 2016 

From the curious way it is worded, do just be aware that another interpretation is possible — and it is the one that instinctively came immediately to my mind.

I think, from the way it is worded, this could mean:
in the first week, the medication it administered EVERY day
in the second week, the medication is administered EVEREY OTHER day (that would be '7 days on/off')
and so on, alternatiing between these two patterns.

As I am NOT a medical expert, I can't say if this is the right answer, or even a plausible one — but I think it is important for you to be aware that a possible ambiguity exists here, purely from the linguistic interpretation of the source text, and you really SHOULD seek clarification from your customer.

The problem is from the syntax, one naturally understands 'once a day for 7 days' then 'on/of for 7 days' — the fact that it repeats the use of 7 days tends to support my interpretation, as otherwise one might reasonably expect it to say 'one week on, one week off'