Current Clinical Trials
Here are some of the current clinical trials taking place for new mesothelioma treatments and medication.
Active Symptom Control with or without Chemotherapy in Treating Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
This is a Phase III trial for people age 18 and over who have been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma within the last 3 months and have not yet received any chemotherapy treatment. The study will examine how effective active symptom control, which works to reduce decrease chest pain, breathlessness, sweating, and general discomfort in patients, is in conjunction with chemotherapy in treating patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. There will be three groups of patients in the study. One group will receive active symptom control treatment solely while the other two groups will receive active symptom control treatment along with a type of chemotherapy. There will be 840 total patients for the study, 280 in each group. Patients will receive treatment at specialist clinics and examined after 15, 18 and 21 weeks, and every 8 weeks thereafter. The study is sponsored by the British Thoracic Society.
Surgery and Photodynamic Therapy in Treating Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma
This is a Phase II trial for people age 18 and over who have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, haven’t had chemotherapy in over a month, have had no previous radiation therapy to the chest and have had no previous radiation therapy for mesothelioma. The study will examine whether photodynamic therapy, which uses light and drugs that make cancer cells more sensitive to light to kill cancer cells, combined with surgery is an effective treatment for mesothelioma. Patients in the trial will receive porfimer sodium, an anti-cancer drug, on day 1 of the trial and undergo surgery to remove the tumor along with photodynamic therapy on day 3. They will then be monitored over the course of three years. There will be 20 patients participating in this study, which the Roswell Park Cancer Institute sponsors.
Combination Chemotherapy with or without Bevacizumab in Treating Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma
This is a Phase II study for people age 18 and older who have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, have a measurable tumor, have no brain metastases, and haven’t had radiation therapy in 4 weeks or surgery in 6 weeks. The study is to examine the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy with or without Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody, in patients with malignant mesothelioma. There will be two groups of people in the study, one will receive combination chemotherapy with Bevacizumab and one without it. There will be 106 patients participating in the study, 53 in each group and it will last for 16 months. The trial is being sponsored by the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center.
PTK787/ZK 222584 in Treating Patients with Unresectable Malignant Mesothelioma
This is a Phase II study for people age 18 and older who have been diagnosed with unresectable malignant mesothelioma, have a measurable tumor with no brain metastases, have not had any chemotherapy for this cancer, have not had radiation therapy within the last 4 weeks or surgery in the last 2 weeks, and have had no previous PTK787/ZK 222584. The study will examine the effectiveness of PTK787/ZK 222584, which may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for tumor cell growth, in the treatment of patients with unresectable malignant mesothelioma. Over the course of the trial, patients will receive PTK787/ZK 222584 by mouth once a day for as long as a benefit is shown. There will be forty patients who participate in the study that will take place over the course of three years.
Pemetrexed Disodium and Gemcitabine in Treating Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma
This is a Phase II study for people age 18 and older who have been diagnosed with pleural or peritoneal malignant mesothelioma, have a measurable tumor with no brain metastases, have had no previous systemic chemotherapy and haven’t had radiation therapy in the previous four weeks. The study will examine the effectiveness of combining pemetrexed disodium and gemcitabine in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Both drugs work to stop cancer and the study will consider if the combination of the two together is a more effective way to treat cancer patients. Patients in the study will receive gemcitabine once a week for two weeks and pemetrexed disodium once in week two. This will continue every 3 weeks as long as a benefit is shown. There will be a total of 18-73 patients participating in this trial which is sponsored by the Ireland Cancer Center.
Gemcitabine and Epirubicin in Treating Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma
This is a Phase II study for people age 18 and older who have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, have a measurable tumor, have gone through no more than one previous chemotherapy regimen for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma, and who have not received gemcitabine and epirubicin before. The study will examine the effectiveness of combining gemcitabine and epirubicin in chemotherapy for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Patients in the study will receive epirubicin in week one and gemcitabine in weeks one and two, and repeat that every three weeks for up to eight cycles. They will then be checked periodically over the next five years. A total of 15-41 patients will participate in this study which is sponsored by the North Central Cancer Treatment Group.
Antineoplaston Therapy in Treating Patients with Advanced Mesothelioma
This is a Phase II study for people age 1 and older who have been diagnosed with advanced mesothelioma, have not received biological therapy or chemotherapy in the previous four weeks, have not received radiation therapy in the previous eight weeks and have had no previous antineoplaston. The study will consider the effectiveness of antineoplaston therapy, which can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, in patients with advanced mesothelioma. Patients will receive antineoplaston A10 and AS2-1 IV six times a day for as long as a benefit is shown. Patients are then monitored over the next two years. The study will include a total of 20-40 patients and is being sponsored by the Burzynski Research Institute.
Radiation Therapy in Preventing Metastatic Cancer in Patients Who Have Diagnostic Procedures to Identify Malignant Mesothelioma
This is a Phase III study for people who have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and have had no previous chemotherapy or radiation therapy for the mesothelioma. This study is meant to examine whether radiation therapy is effective in preventing metastatic cancer following surgery to diagnose malignant mesothelioma. Patients in the study will be placed into two groups. Within the three weeks following the diagnostic procedure, patients in one group will receive 3 days of radiation therapy while patients in the other group will not. The quality of life is then assessed in all patients for the next year. The study will include a total of 44 participants, 22 in each group. The trial is sponsored by Cancer Research UK.
ALIMTA (pemetrexed) plus Gemcitabine (Gemzar) for Patients with Malignant Pleural or Peritoneal Mesothelioma who have not had Previous Chemotherapy
This is a Phase II study for people age 18 and older with a diagnosis of mesothelioma that can be treated with chemotherapy. To be a part of this study, a patient must have received no prior chemotherapy for mesothelioma, have at least one measurable lesion, an adequate performance status and signed an informed consent. Patients with previous chemotherapy treatments for mesothelioma, treatment with an investigational drug in the last 30 days, treatment with radiation therapy in the last four weeks, an uncontrollable brain metastasis, or an active infection or other serious condition will be excluded from the trial. The study will investigate the effectiveness of the combination of ALIMTA and gemcitabine for patients with mesothelioma. Eli Lilly and Company is sponsoring it.
ONCONASE plus Doxorubicin versus Doxorubicin Alone for Patients with Malignant Pleural or Peritoneal Mesothelioma who have had No More than One Prior Chemotherapy Regimen
This is a Phase III trial for people age 21 and over who have been diagnosed with malignant pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma. Trial participants must have a measurable or evaluable tumor, no CNS metastases, no previous doxorubicin and at least six weeks since chemotherapy. The study will examine the effectiveness of treating malignant mesothelioma with doxorubicin as compared to treatment with doxorubicin and ONCONASE. The patients in the study will be divided up into two groups. One group will receive doxorubicin and the other will receive doxorubicin and ONCONASE once a week for up to 18 weeks. The quality of life will then be measured. A minimum of 300 patients will be used for this study which is sponsored by Alfacell.
Neoadjuvant Pemetrexed Disodium and Cisplatin Followed by Surgery and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients with Pleural Mesothelioma
This is a Phase II trial for patients ages 18 and older who have been diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. To participate in the study, patients must have no mesothelioma involving the heart, no previous biological therapy, chemotherapy or radiation therapy and no previous surgery involving mesothelioma. The study will examine the effectiveness of some measures taken to make surgery to remove cancerous tumors more effective. The study will consider the effectiveness of giving patients neoadjuvant pemetrexed disodium and cisplatin before the surgery to shrink the tumor and radiation therapy after the surgery to remove remaining cancer cells.
Patients will receive neoadjuvant pemetrexed disodium and cisplatin once every three weeks for four cycles to attempt to shrink the tumor. Then, three to eight weeks after the completion of chemotherapy, patients will have surgery to remove the cancer. Four to eight weeks after surgery, patients will then have radiation therapy for five days a week for up to six weeks. They will also be checked up on periodically after the therapy for two years. There will be a total of 77 patients participating in the study which is sponsored by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Intrapleural BG00001 in Treating Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma or Malignant Pleural Effusions
This is a Phase I study for patients ages 18 and older who have been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma or malignant pleural effusions. To participate in the study, patients must have a measurable or evaluable tumor, more than four weeks since last receiving biological or radiation therapy, no previous bone marrow or stem cell transplantation and at least two weeks past since surgery. The study is meant to examine the effectiveness of using BG00001 to place a gene to fight cancer in the body. Patients in the trial will undergo a procedure to have the gene inserted with a catheter between the chest wall and the lung. Their overall well being will then be monitored for 15 years. A total of 3-18 patients will participate in the study, which is being sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center.
Flavopiridol in Treating Patients with Metastatic or Unresectable Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Multiple Myeloma, Mesothelioma, Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney Cancer), Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck, Small Cell Lung Cancer, or Invasive Breast Cancer
This is a Phase I trial for patients ages 18 and older who have been diagnosed with Metastatic or Unresectable Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Multiple Myeloma, Mesothelioma, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck, Small Cell Lung Cancer, or Invasive Breast Cancer. Patients participating in the study may not have had monoclonal antibody therapy within the last four weeks or chemotherapy or radiation therapy in the previous three weeks.
The trial is meant to examine the effectiveness of flavopiridol, a chemotherapy drug, in keeping cancer cells from spreading. Patients will receive flavopiridol once a week for three weeks, with the treatment repeated every four weeks as long as benefits are shown. Patients are periodically monitored after their treatments. The study will have a total of 3-100 patients involved and is sponsored by the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center.
Experimental Drug SS1(dsFv)-PE38 to Treat Cancer
This is a Phase I trial for patients ages 18 and older who have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, Ovarian Neoplasm or Squamous Cell Neoplasm. Patients enrolled in the program must have a measurable or evaluable tumor, no anti-tumor treatment within four weeks prior to enrollment, no CNS involvement with the tumor and no concurrent anti-tumor treatment. The trial is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of SS1 (dsFv)-PE38 in treating certain cancerous tumors. Patients will receive SS1(dsFv)-PE38 for ten consecutive days and be monitored for weeks following the treatment. If the treatment goes well, it will be repeated every four weeks up to a maximum of four times. Forty patients are expected to enroll in the trial.
This is a Phase II trial for patients who have been diagnosed with Abdominal Neoplasm, Colonic Neoplasm, Mesothelioma or Peritoneal Neoplasm. Patients in the trial must have a disease confined to the peritoneal cavity, be at least 30 days past the last treatment of chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiotherapy and be recovered from it and weigh more than 30 kgs. The trial is meant to study the effectiveness of an experimental treatment for peritoneal cancer involving surgical removal of the tumor, perfusion of the abdomen during surgery with a heated solution of the drug cisplatin, and post-surgery combination chemotherapy. The expected enrollment of patients in the study is 128.
Combination Chemotherapy and Tamoxifen in Treating Patients with Solid Tumors
This is a Phase II study for patients ages 65 and younger who have been diagnosed with Incurable Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Glioma, Mesothelioma, Hepatoma, Thyroid Cancer, or Adrenal Cancer. Patients in the study must have a measurable or evaluable tumor, three weeks since the last treatment of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, no previous anthracycline or cisplatin and no more than one previous chemotherapy regimen. The study will examine the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy cisplatin and doxorubicin plus tamoxifen in the treatment of cancer patients with solid tumors. Patients will receive the drugs and have their overall well being monitored over the course of two years to see how the drugs affect them. 14-30 patients will be involved in the study, which is sponsored by the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre.
Cyclophosphamide plus Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients with Advanced Cancer
This is a Phase II trial for patients ages 18 and older who have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, kidney tumor, Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer or pleura cancer. Patients in the trial must have let four weeks pass since their last treatment of chemotherapy, hormone therapy or radiation therapy. The study is looking to evaluate the effectiveness of combining cyclophosphamide with a tumor cell vaccine in treating people with metastatic cancer or cancer with a high risk of reoccurrence. Patients will receive the treatments and have their overall well being monitored periodically. The study, which is sponsored by St. Vincent Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, will have a total of 20-40 patients.
Decitabine in Treating Patients with Unresectable Lung or Esophageal Cancer or Malignant Mesothelioma of the Pleura
This is a Phase I trial for patients ages 18 and older who have been diagnosed with unresectable lung or esophageal cancer or malignant mesothelioma of the pleura. Patients participating in the study must not have had any chemotherapy, biological or radiation therapy within 30 days of the trial starting and must not have had previous decitabine. This study will examine the effectiveness of decitabine in stopping tumor cells from dividing. Patients in the study will receive a three-day infusion of decitabine every five weeks for up to four cycles. Patients will be evaluated periodically every month. The trial is sponsored by the Center for Cancer Research in Bethesda, MD.
Study of Gene Induction Mediated by Sequential Decitabine/Depsipeptide Infusion in Patients with Pulmonary and Pleural Malignancies
This is a Phase I study for patients ages 18 and older who have been diagnosed with Small Cell Carcinoma, Mesothelioma or Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma. Patients participating in the study must not have had chemotherapy, biologic or radiation therapy for the 30 days prior to treatment and cannot have active intracranial metastases or infections. The trial will study the effect of giving cancer patients the drugs decitabine and depsipeptide together and will include 42 patients. Each patient will receive up to two 34-day cycles of the treatment, with the patient being hospitalized for five or six days to receive the treatment. The National Cancer Institute sponsors the trial.