Men and women of different age groups who have cancer are randomly assigned to groups differing in the dose of a new cancer-fighting drug in order to examine the effects on the progression of the disease. the dependent variable is:

In the given case, the dependent variable is the progression of the disease.  

An independent variable refers to the variable, which is monitored or modified in a scientific examination to test the influences on the dependent variable. A dependent variable refers to the variable being examined and determined in a scientific test. Both the dependent and the independent variable may be witnessed in the terms of effect and cause.  

those characteristics are cellular organization, reproduction, metabolism, homeostasis, heredity, response to stimuli, growth and development, and adaptation through evolution. some things, such as a virus, demonstrate only a few of these characteristics and are, therefore, not alive