Clinical Trials Recruiting Participants
When last investigated on March 19, 2009, the following clinical trials reported that they were still recruiting participants:
Video-Assisted Surgery or Talc Pleurodesis in Treating Patients With Malignant Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma, Metastatic Cancer
Papworth Hospital
Researcher are investigating whether video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery to remove a portion of the tissue layer from the inside of the chest cavity is more effective in preventing recurring pleural effusion—the buildup of fluid in around the lungs that is a common complication of mesothelioma. This Phase III trial will compare the effectiveness of the studied procedure with talc pleurodesis in treating and preventing pleural effusions. Talc pleurodesis involves injecting talc into the space between the lung and the lining to promote scarring and try to close the space where fluid can collect.
Bortezomib and Cisplatin as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
British researchers believe that Bortezomib may be able to stop the growth of mesothelioma tumor cells by blocking some enzymes needed for the cells’ growth and by blocking the blood flow to the tumor. Cisplatin, which is already used in chemotherapy to treat mesothelioma, works against the tumor cells in a different way. Researchers hope that giving bortezomib along with cisplatin may be more effective in killing tumor cells. This is a Phase II trial to study the side effects and effectiveness of the proposed drug combination.
AZD2171 in Treating Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma that Cannot Be Removed by Surgery
Condition: Mesothelioma
Researchers are studying whether AZD2171 can stop tumor growth by blocking enzymes needed for the growth of the tumor cells and blood flow to the tumor. This Phase II trial will study the effectiveness of AZD2171 treatment in patients whose mesothelioma tumor cannot be removed surgically. The study is being conducted through medical centers in California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and in Ontario, Canada.
Dasatinib in Treating Patients with Previously Treated Malignant Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
This Phase II study will measure the effectiveness and side effects of dasatinib treatment in patients with mesothelioma. Study participants will be seen at 30 locations in California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina.
Everolimus in Treating Patients with Pleural Malignant Mesothelioma that Cannot Be Removed by Surgery
Condition: Mesothelioma
Researchers are studying whether Everolimus can stop cancer growth by blocking enzymes used in cell growth. This Phase II trial will examine the effectiveness of everolimus treatment in patients with pleural mesothelioma that cannot be removed through surgery. The study is being conducted at the Tammy Walker Cancer Center at Salina Regional Health Center in Salinas, Kansas.
Cisplatin, Pemetrexed, and Imatinib Mesylate in Malignant Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
Researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas are studying whether a combination of the drugs cisplatin, pemetrexed and imatinib mesylate will enable de-phosphorylation (removal of phosphates) of PDGF-R in mesothelioma tumor cells and help fight tumor growth. In this Phase I trial researchers at M.D. Anderson will try to determine the maximum dose of the drug combination that can be safely used in combination to treat metastatic mesothelioma, as well as assess the effectiveness of the treatment.
An Efficacy Study of Milataxel (TL139) Administered Orally for Malignant Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
This Phase II study will look at both the benefit of oral milataxel treatment to patients with previously treated mesothelioma and the dose that can be safely tolerated. The study will be conducted through medical centers at the University of Chicago and Rush University in Chicago, Illinois and New York University Cancer Center in New York City.
Phase II Study of Valproate and Doxorubicin in Malignant Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
This Phase II study, taking place in Belgium and France, will examine how mesothelioma patients who have already failed chemotherapy at least once will respond to a combination of doxorubicin and valproate acid.
Sorafenib in Previously Treated Malignant Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
Researchers at King’s College London are studying the effect of sorafenib in patients whose mesothelioma has previously been treated with chemotherapy. They will use PET scans to study the time it takes for the cancer to begin growing again—the “progression-free survival” time.
Sunitinib in Treating Patients with Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
Canadian researchers are doing a multi-center study of the effectiveness of the drug sunitinib malate in treating pleural mesothelioma and trying to determine a safe and tolerable dose of the drug. It is hoped that sunitinib malate may be able to arrest cancer growth by affecting some of the enzymes involved in cell growth. Participants will be divided into groups based on whether they have previously received chemotherapy.
Immunotoxin Therapy, Pemetrexed, and Cisplatin in Treating Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma that Cannot Be Removed by Surgery
Condition: Mesothelioma
One of the avenues for treatment being explored by some scientists is the use of immunotoxins along with chemotherapy drugs. Immunotoxins are intended to attack tumor cells while sparing normal cells. In this Phase I trial, Researchers at Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland will study the side effects and try to establish the best dose for giving immunotherapy along with pemetrexed (Alimta®)and cisplatin to treat pleural mesothelioma. This is another way researchers are trying to boost the anti-tumor effects of current treatments. This study will look specifically at people whose mesothelioma tumors could not be surgically removed.
An Efficacy and Safety Study with Vandetanib to Treat Inoperable or Relapsed Malignant Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
In this study, being conducted in Germany and Switzerland, researchers will look at the relative effectiveness of Vandetanib, a new experimental mesothelioma drug, when compared to a current chemotherapy drug Navelbine®. Approximately 66 patients will receive the experimental treatment or the established drug based on random selection. In this study the patients will be assigned by chance to receive either the new drug or a chemotherapy treatment (Navelbine®). Treatment will continue as long as the patient consents and the cancer does not progress.
Study of Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Esophageal Cancer, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Mediastinal or Chest Wall Neoplasms, or Lung Metastases from Cancers of Non-Thoracic Origin
Conditions: Esophageal Cancer; Lung Cancer; Mesothelioma; Metastatic Cancer
This study is not intended to provide treatment. It is a study to collect biological samples (blood, urine and tissues samples) to be made available for cancer research and to identify patients who may be eligible for other clinical trials. Obtaining tissue samples would require some form of biopsy procedure. The study is being coordinated by researchers at Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.
Bortezomib in Treating Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
This study will evaluate the ability of the drug Bortezomib to stop cancer growth by interfering with the production of enzymes needed in cell growth. In addition to evaluating survival rate of participants and time to cancer progression, researchers will assess the safety of the treatment and patients’ quality of life. The trial will be conducted at several centers in the United Kingdom and northern Europe.
Cisplatin, Pemetrexed and Bevacizumab for Untreated Malignant Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
Researchers will study the time until mesothelioma progresses in patients being given combination chemotherapy including cisplatin, pemetrexed and bevacizumab. This Phase II trial is being conducted at the University of Texas Southerwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, with collaborators at the University of Chicago and Columbia University. Study participants must not have received previous chemotherapy and must be ineligible for surgical tumor removal or radiation therapy.
Antineoplaston Therapy in Treating Patients with Advanced Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
Antineoplastons are peptides (protein molecules) naturally found in the blood, but cancer patients have them at a decreased level. There is laboratory evidence that the presence of antineoplastons may convert some cancer cells to normal cells. This phase II trial will study the ability of antineoplastons to inhibit cancer growth in patients with advanced (stage IV) mesothelioma. Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski of the Burzynski Clinic, who named these substances for what he believed would be their cancer-fighting potential, is guiding this study from Houston, Texas.
Sorafenib, Pemetrexed, and Cisplatin in Treating Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors
Conditions: Breast Cancer; Colorectal Cancer; Head and Neck Cancer; Lung Cancer; Mesothelioma; Pancreatic Cancer; Prostate Cancer; Sarcoma
Researchers at the Masonic Cancer Center at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota are conducting a Phase I trial to determine the optimal dose level and side effects for giving sorafenib in conjunction with pemetrexed and cisplatin to patients with mesothelioma, lung cancer, breast cancer, head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer and sarcoma. Sorafenib may be able to stop tumor growth by blocking the blood supply to a solid tumor mass and by blocking some enzymes involved in tumor growth. Researchers hope that giving this drug along with other chemotherapy agents that work in different ways will make treatment more effective.
FR901228 and Flavopiridol in Treating Patients with Advanced Lung, Esophageal or Pleural Cancer
Conditions: Esophageal Cancer; Lung Cancer; Mesothelioma; Metastatic Cancer
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research and the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland are conducting a Phase I study of the side effects and maximum safe dose of FR901228 (depsipeptide) when given along with Flavopiridol to patients with advanced mesothelioma, lung cancer or esophageal cancer. Researchers hope that combining GR901288 with Flavopiridol will make the chemotherapy treatment more effective.
Decitabine and FR901228 in Treating Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer, Esophageal Cancer, Pleural Mesothelioma or Lung Metastases
Conditions: Esophageal Cancer; Lung Cancer; Mesothelioma; Metastatic Cancer
In this Phase I study, researchers at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center and the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research in Bethesda, Maryland are investigating the maximum dose and side effects of combination chemotherapy involving decitabine and FD901228 for patients with advanced pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer, esophageal cancer and metastases in the lungs. As is the goal in all combination chemotherapy studies, the researchers hope that the combination of drugs will be tolerated well and will be more effective than single agent chemotherapy.
Pemetrexed, Cisplatin, and Vitamin B12 in Treating Patients with Mesothelioma of the Chest that Cannot Be Removed by Surgery
Condition: Mesothelioma
In this Phase II trial, scientists working in France hope to determine how effective it is to give pemetrexed along with cisplatin and vitamin B12 to patients with pleural mesothelioma that cannot be removed through surgery. Researchers hope to see a heightened anti-cancer response whether these drugs are used in combination.
Pemetrexed Disodium and Cisplatin Followed by Surgery with or without Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Condition: Mesothelioma
In this Phase II trial, researchers in Switzerland are studying the use of the drugs pemetrexed disodium and cisplatin as neoadjuvant therapy before surgery and, in some cases, subsequent radiation to fight tumor growth. By giving chemotherapy before surgery, these scientists hope to minimize the amount of normal tissue that must be removed surgically. Post-surgical radiation, when appropriate, is also used to kill tumor cells that are left behind in the surgery.
Optical Coherence Tomography of the Airway in Detecting Abnormal Cells in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Lung Cancer or Lung Disease
Conditions: Lung Cancer; Mesothelioma; Metastatic Cancer; Precancerous/Nonmalignant Condition
Researchers at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio are conducting a Phase I trial of the use of optical coherence tomography to identify abnormal cells in the airways of patients with mesothelioma, lung cancer or other lung disease. The diagnostic technique will be used to view tissue samples taken during surgeries (required for the patient’s disease) and identify abnormal cells from patients’ airways. The goal to determine the ability of the technique to find premalignant cellular changes in the airways.
Combination Chemotherapy with or without Surgery and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients with Mesothelioma that Can Be Removed by Surgery
Condition: Mesothelioma
Researchers in the United Kingdom are conducting a clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy alone with combination chemotherapy followed by surgery and subsequent radiation. Participants must be eligible for surgery, and they will be randomly selected for chemotherapy alone or the chemotherapy/surgery/radiation regimen.
Printed Education Materials in Patients Who Are Finishing Treatment for Stage I, Stage II or Stage IIIA Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Prostate Cancer or Chest Cancer
Conditions: Breast Cancer; Cancer-Related Problem/Condition; Colorectal Cancer; Lung Cancer; Mesothelioma; Prostate Cancer; Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma
This clinical trial does not involve medical treatment. Rather, researchers are interested in uncovering how much printed materials assist cancer patients in making the transition to cancer survivors as they complete their treatment. The study will also attempt to compare the effectiveness of different printed materials.
Phase I Dose-Escalation Study of Azacitidine in Combination with Temozolomide
Conditions: Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Mesothelioma
This three-year Phase I trial by researchers at Columbia University will investigate the safety and toxicity threshold for combination chemotherapy using Temozolomide and Azacitidine to treat mesothelioma and advanced soft tissue sarcoma. The priority in the Phase I trial is determining the dose at which intolerable drug toxicity is reached, limiting further treatment. But researchers will also track treatment effects by measuring survival rate during treatment and time to cancer progression.
Fentanyl Sublingual Spray in Treating Patients with Breakthrough Cancer Pain
Condition: Cancer
This study by InSys Therapeutics, Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona involves purely palliative care—whether a pain medication sprayed under the tongue can improve the quality of life for cancer patients dealing with poorly controlled pain. Phase III clinical trial is studying the ability of Fentanyl sublingual spray to relieve breakthrough pain in cancer patients who are already receiving opioids for pain.
Electronic Tool to Record Cancer Symptoms in Patients with Advanced Cancer Receiving Palliative Care
Condition: Cancer
Researchers in Switzerland are studying the potential benefit of a handheld electronic device for monitoring symptoms and assessing quality of life for patients with advanced cancer. They device is intended to improve communication between patients and their physicians and, thereby, improve the treatment planning for patients receiving palliative care for their symptoms. It is unknown whether the device will impact symptom control for these cancer patients.
1-Methyl-d-Tryptophan in Treating Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors
Condition: Cancer
Researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee are investigating the maximum safe dose of 1-methyl-d-tryptophan to be used in treating patients with mesothelioma and other recurrent or difficult-to-treat solid tumors. Like a number of the other chemotherapy drugs currently being investigated, 1–methyl-d-tryptophan may halt cancer growth by blocking enzymes that are needed for cell growth. This Phase I trial will help scientists establish the dosage level to be used in the Phase II clinical trial of the drugs effectiveness.
Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapy in Mesothelioma
Condition: Pleural Mesothelioma
This Phase I trial being conducted in the Netherlands will test the feasibility and safety of pursuing vaccination with autologous dentritic cells (a type of immune cell) to stimulate the immune systems to fight mesothelioma. The treatment is intended to be used as an adjuvant therapy to other treatment, and study participants will first receive four courses of Alimta/cisplatin, standard combination chemotherapy for mesothelioma. Then dentritic cells from their own body will be treated and reinjected into the patient. Researchers expect only mild side effects and will have ten participants in the Phase I trial.
Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma in Prior Asbestos Workers
Conditions: Lung Cancer; Mesothelioma
Canadian researchers are working to develop a protocol for using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) to screen for early-stage pleural mesothelioma. Researchers speculate that early, asymptomatic mesothelioma may look like a benign asbestos-related conditions, a pleural plaque. With serial images, careful measurements and tracking over time, researchers hope they might be able to identify early-state mesothelioma among asbestos-exposed individuals before the disease becomes symptomatic, increasing the treatment options for new patients.