Clinical Trials Involving Single Treatments

Editor’s Note: The clinical trials listed below are specific to mesothelioma and have participating centers in North America. The website of the National Cancer Institute lists additional mesothelioma trials being conducted abroad, as well as cancer clinical trials that include but are not specific to mesothelioma. For updated information on recruitment for clinical trials, visit clinicaltrials.gov.

While most mesothelioma clinical trials involve combination treatments, some focus on single treatments. Many of the trials listed below exclude patients currently undergoing chemotherapy or other treatments; however, some of the same trials require previous treatment with chemotherapy or other therapies. For updated information on eligibility and recruitment status, click on the links below each trial.

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

This mesothelioma clinical trial will assess the safety of an investigational drug called suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid. (Click here to learn more about eligibility and recruitment for the trial.)

AZD2171 in Treating Patients With Malignant Mesothelioma That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

AZD2171 is a drug that may inhibit tumor cell growth by blocking enzymes involved in cell growth, and by blocking blood flow to tumors. This clinical trial will evaluate the effectiveness of AZD2171 in patients with malignant mesothelioma tumors that cannot be removed through surgery. (Click here to learn more about eligibility and recruitment for the trial.)

Tomotherapy Treatment for Mesothelioma

Tomotherapy is a new radiation technology that can be used to treat abnormally shaped tumors, including tumors that surround sensitive tissues. For this reason, tomotherapy may prove useful in treating pleural mesothelioma, or cancer of the lining that surrounds the lung. This clinical trial will evaluate participants' symptoms, breathing and quality of life prior to and following treatment. (Click here to learn more about eligibility and recruitment for the trial.)

Dasatinib in Treating Patients With Previously Treated Malignant Mesothelioma

Dasatinib is a drug that may inhibit the growth of tumor cells by blocking enzymes involved in cell growth. This mesothelioma clinical trial will assess the effectiveness of dasatinib in patients who have already received other treatments for malignant mesothelioma. (Click here to learn more about eligibility and recruitment for the trial.)

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

Milataxel is a new drug belonging to a drug class called taxanes. This mesothelioma trial will attempt to determine the effectiveness of orally administered Milataxel in mesothelioma patients. The study is open to patients who have had chemotherapy but still experienced recurrence or progression of the disease. (Click here to learn more about eligibility and recruitment for the trial.)

Dasatinib in Resectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

P-Src is a type if kinase (enzyme or protein that attaches to and mutates other cells) that has elevated activity in certain types of cancer. A new drug, dasatinib, has been shown to reduce this activity, thus suggesting that it inhibits the underlying cancer activity and uncontrolled cell growth. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which dasatinib inhibits p-Src Tyr 419 — a kinase associated with mesothelioma — in patients with resectable mesothelioma tumors (tumors that can be surgically removed). (Click here to learn more about eligibility and details for the clinical trial.)

See Also:
» Treatments Under Investigation

[Page updated September 2009]