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Over Forty Clinical Trials for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

12131629_Researcher

Mesothelioma is still a difficult cancer to treat. Today, there are at least 42 active clinical trials for mesothelioma, each trying to demonstrate a better treatment outcome than standard therapies. While there are still trials of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, today the emphasis is on newer therapies that can better target the tumor cells instead of indiscriminately harming cancer and healthy cells alike. These better targeted therapies go by different names depending on the type and include terms like: anti-cytokine, antiangiogenesis, enzyme inhibitor therapy, kinase inhibitor therapy, gene therapy, biological therapy, and immune therapy.

As of March 2009 there were at least sixteen trials of these newer therapies plus eight combination regimes of a newer therapy and chemotherapy and another trial with radiation therapy. These newer therapies include treatments designed to inhibit tumor cell surface receptors (like Dasatinib, Imatinib, Sorafenib), treatments that inhibit growth factor receptors (like Vandetanib and Bevacizumab), antibodies (like MORAb-009 and SS1(dsFv)-PE38 immunotoxin), and proteasome inhibitors (like Bortezomib).

Below is a list of some of the clinical trials being offered for mesothelioma. You are urged to check the National Cancer Institute website for the most current list. It is available here: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/search

Newer Therapies

Vorinostat (MK0683, SAHA) Versus Placebo in Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Phase II Study of AZD2171 in Patients With Malignant Pleural, Peritoneal, or Tunica Vaginalis Mesothelioma That is Not Amenable to Curative Surgery

Study of NGR-hTNF as Single Agent in Patients Affected by Advanced or Metastatic Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Phase II Study of Sunitinib Malate in Patients With Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Phase II Study of Dasatinib in Patients With Previously Treated Malignant Mesothelioma

Phase II Study of Antineoplastons A10 and AS2-1 in Patients With Stage IV Mesothelioma

Phase II Study of Bortezomib in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

An Efficacy and Safety Study With Vandetanib to Treat Inoperable or Relapsed Malignant Mesothelioma

An Efficacy Study of MORAb-009 in Subjects With Pleural Mesothelioma

Phase II Study of Everolimus in Patients With Unresectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Sorafenib in Previously Treated Malignant Mesothelioma

Dasatinib in Resectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Pharmacokinetic, Safety, and Efficacy Effects of Oral LBH589 on Dextromethorphan in Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer or Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Phase I Study of FR901228 (Depsipeptide) and Flavopiridol in Patients With Advanced Primary Lung or Esophageal Cancer, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, or Lung or Pleural Metastases

Newer Therapy + Chemotherapy

Study of CBP501 + Pemetrexed + Cisplatin in Patients With Solid Tumors (Phase I) and Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (Phase II)

Cisplatin, Pemetrexed and Bevacizumab for Untreated Malignant Mesothelioma

Phase II Study of Bevacizumab, Pemetrexed and Carboplatin as First-Line Therapy in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Phase II Study of Bortezomib and Cisplatin as First-Line Treatment in Patients With Malignant Mesothelioma

A Phase II Study of the Association of Glivec® Plus Gemzar® in Patients With Unresectable, Refractory, Malignant Mesothelioma

Cisplatin, Pemetrexed, and Imatinib Mesylate in Malignant Mesothelioma

Oxaliplatin and Paclitaxel Plus Bevacizumab in Advanced Peritoneal Carcinomatosis

Phase I Study of SS1(dsFv)-PE38 Immunotoxin in Combination With Pemetrexed Disodium and Cisplatin in Patients With Unresectable Malignant Epithelial Pleural Mesothelioma

Chemotherapy

Mesothelioma Avastin Plus Pemetrexed-Cisplatin Study Carboplatin, Bevacizumab and Pemetrexed in the First-Line Treatment of Patients With MPM

Phase II Study of Pemetrexed Disodium, Cisplatin, and Vitamin B12 in Patients With Unresectable Pleural Mesothelioma

Phase II Study of Valproate and Doxorubicin in Malignant Mesothelioma

An Efficacy Study of Milataxel (TL139) Administered Orally for Malignant Mesothelioma

Study of Carboplatin and Vinorelbine in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Phase I Study of Gene Induction Mediated by Sequential Decitabine/Depsipeptide Infusion in Subjects with Pulmonary and Pleural Malignancies

Phase I Dose-Escalation Study Of Azacitidine In Combination With Temozolomide

Surgery

Phase III Randomized Study of Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Cytoreductive Pleurectomy Versus Talc Pleurodesis in Patients With Suspected or Proven Malignant Mesothelioma

Surgery + Chemotherapy

Pleurectomy/Decortication With Intraoperative Intrathoracic/Intraperitoneal Heated Cisplatin With Sodium Thiosulfate

Surgery Plus Intraoperative Peritoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy (IPHC) to Treat Peritoneal Carcinomatosis

Extrapleural Pneumonectomy /Pleurectomy Decortication, IHOC Cisplatin and Gemcitabine With Amifostine and Sodium Thiosulfate Cytoprotection for Resectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Radiation

Short Neoadjuvant Hemithoracic IMRT for MPM

Tomotherapy Treatment for Mesothelioma

Chemotherapy + Radiation

Study Using Chemotherapy Followed by Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy to the Pleura in Patients With Locally Advanced But Unresectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Newer Therapy + Radiation

Phase I Study Using Sunitinib Plus Radiation Therapy for Cancer Patients

Surgery + Chemotherapy + Radiation

Phase II Randomized Study of Neoadjuvant Therapy With Pemetrexed Disodium and Cisplatin Followed By Extrapleural Pneumonectomy With or Without Postoperative Hemithoracic Radiotherapy in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Randomized Pilot Study of Neoadjuvant Combination Chemotherapy With Versus Without Surgery and Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Patients With Resectable Malignant Mesothelioma

Gene Therapy

Gene Therapy for Pleural Malignancies

Immune Therapy

Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapy in Mesothelioma

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