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Mesothelioma
and Lung Cancer Information Center
Clinical Trials
Most medical ailments do not
have a single treatment. Some patients may choose to enhance their
treatments with new or innovative techniques currently under
investigation.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE LATEST INFORMATION ON HOW YOU
CAN PARTICIPATE IN THESE CLINICAL TRIALS
Clinical trials are supported at many organizations such as medical
centers, hospitals, universities and doctors' offices. The researcher will
most probably be a doctor, an academic researcher or a specialist. The
researchers compare the effect of the new treatment with standard
treatment. Patient receiving the clinical treatment are in a treatment
group, whereas patients receiving standard treatment or no treatment are
in a "control" group. Researchers assign patients randomly to either a
treatment or control group. If you do not know whether you are in the
treatment group or the control group, it is known as a masked study. If
neither you nor your doctor know if you are in a treatment or control
group, it is known as a double masked study. This helps to ensure that the
perception of the patient or doctor will not affect the study.
Each clinical trial study has specific eligibility requirements such as
type and stage of disease, age group, or history of the patient. If you
are interested in joining a clinical trial your doctor must contact one
of the trials investigator and provide details about your medical
history. The National Institute of Health and other organizations
sponsor trials on various diseases and disorders.
LATEST MESOTHELIOMA
CLINICAL TRIALS
A Phase II Trial of
Induction Chemotherapy, Surgical Resection and Adjuvant External Beam
Radiation for Locally Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
- Purpose :
- Malignant mesothelioma is a
rare form of cancer in which malignant cells are found in the sac lining
the chest (pleura) or abdomen (peritoneum). Treatment for mesothelioma
of the pleura may include surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy,
or a combination of these. There currently is no standard treatment for
this type of cancer. Pleural mesothelioma is often diagnosed at an
advanced stage, when surgery may not be an option.
Doctors at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering want to determine if giving chemotherapy first --
"induction chemotherapy" -- using a combination of the drugs gemcitabine
and cisplatin, will improve the chance of surgically removing the tumor.
They will also determine if following surgery with radiation therapy
will decrease the chance of the cancer returning. Computed tomography
(CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scanning will be used to
determine the extent of tumor growth and to monitor its response to
treatment.
- Eligibility :
- To be eligible for this
study, patients must meet several criteria, including but not limited to
the following:
- Patients must have a
confirmed diagnosis of mesothelioma of the pleura.
A Double Blind, Placebo
Controlled Randomized Phase II Trial of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin with Or
Without the Vegf Inhibitor Bevacizumab (nsc#704865) in Patients with
Malignant Mesothelioma
- Purpose :
- Mesothelioma is a cancer
that arises in the lining of the lungs (pleura) or abdomen (peritoneum).
In many cases, surgery is not possible and, in that situation, the
treatment is chemotherapy.
A combination of the drugs
gemcitabine and cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapy regimen for
mesothelioma. Investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
are participating in a multicenter trial to determine if adding an
experimental drug called bevacizumab to this regimen is safe and
beneficial in patients with advanced mesothelioma.
Another purpose of this
study is to determine whether the combination of bevacizumab,
gemcitabine, and cisplatin is better than chemotherapy with gemcitabine
and cisplatin alone. Doctors do not yet know which of these two
treatments is better. This is a randomized trial: Half of the patients
will receive gemcitabine and cisplatin plus bevacizumab, while the other
half will receive gemcitabine and cisplatin plus a placebo.
Bevacizumab is an
experimental antitumor agent called an angiogenesis inhibitor.
Angiogenesis inhibitors are believed to affect tumor cell growth by
attacking the blood vessels that supply tumors with nutrition, rather
than attacking the cancer cells directly. It is thought that when new
blood vessels are unable to form to feed a growing tumor, the tumor may
shrink. Studies in animals indicate that bevacizumab can decrease new
blood vessel growth, cause tumors to decrease in size, and prevent
tumors from spreading (metastasizing) in the body.
Eligibility: To be eligible for this
study, patients must meet several criteria, including but not limited to
the following:
- Patients must have a
confirmed diagnosis of malignant pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma
that cannot be cured with surgery.
- Patients may not have had
prior anticancer chemotherapy. Patients who have had prior radiation
therapy may not have received this treatment within 4 weeks of
entering the study.
- Patients may not have a
history of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or stroke in the
6 months prior to entering the study, nor can they have involvement of
a major blood vessel by the tumor.
- Patients must be at least
18 years of age.
A Phase Ii,
Open-Label, Non-Randomized, Multicenter, Single Agent Study of
Intravenous Sdx-102 for the Treatment of Patients with Mtap-Deficient
Cancer
Purpose :
- Some types of cancer lack
a protein called MTAP. SDX-102 (also called L-alanosine) is a new drug
that may be helpful in treating patients with tumors that lack MTAP.
In this phase II trial, investigators wish to evaluate the safety and
effectiveness of SDX-102 in patients with MTAP-deficient cancers that
have returned or progressed despite other treatments.
The types of cancers that
will be included are soft-tissue sarcomas (connective tissue tumors),
sarcomas of the bone, pleural mesothelioma (a tumor that arises
between the lung and the chest wall), non-small cell lung cancer, and
pancreatic cancer. Researchers will observe how the body gets rid of
SDX-102, and determine if SDX-102 can keep a tumor from growing.
Eligibility: To be eligible for this
study, patients must meet several criteria, including but not limited
to the following:
- Patients must have a
confirmed diagnosis of soft-tissue sarcoma, osteosarcoma, pleural
mesothelioma, non-small cell lung cancer, or pancreatic cancer that
does not respond to chemotherapy or has progressed despite prior
chemotherapy. Patients with mesothelioma must have disease that
cannot be removed surgically. Patients with Ewing's sarcoma of the
soft tissue or bone may not participate in this study.
- Patients' cancers must
lack the MTAP protein, as confirmed by testing of tumor specimens.
- At least 4 weeks must
have passed since prior chemotherapy, and patients must have
recovered from any side effects of treatment.
- Patients must not be
confined to a bed or chair for more than half of their normal waking
hours.
- Patients must be age 18
or older (age 13 or older for patients with osteosarcoma).
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