Available Cancer Clinical Trials

Cancer (or oncology) clinical trials are research studies in which cancer patients help find better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. Clinical trials can be another treatment option for cancer patients. Nearly all treatments we now have for cancer were discovered as a result of clinical trials. Clinical trials only include patients who choose to take part.

- -

What are the possible benefits of participating in a clinical trial?

The benefits for patients participating in a clinical trial may include:

• access to the most recent treatments
• the hope for a cure for their condition
• the hope for a longer life
• the possibility of an improved quality of life
• minimizing side effects of certain treatments
• second opinions by the national research cancer doctors working on the studies
• intense monitoring and follow-up of the disease and treatment

• making an important contribution to the advancement of cancer treatments and knowledge

- -

Who can participate in a clinical trial?

Each study has specific requirements that patients must fit in order to participate in a clinical trial. Eligibility for a clinical trial may depend on the type or stage of cancer, as well as the patient’s general health status. Patients who are interested in clinical trials will be evaluated based on the requirements of the study to see if they are eligible.

- -

What are the different types of clinical trials?

There are many types of clinical trials. Your doctors, nurses, and clinical research team can help you decide what types of clinical trials may be right for you. Some types of clinical trials include:

Prevention trials use new approaches to preventing cancer in people who have never had cancer or to prevent cancer from coming back. Many of these approaches use medicines, vitamins, minerals, or other supplements.
Treatment trials test new cancer drugs, new combinations of drugs, new schedules of drugs, or new approaches to radiation therapy or surgery.
Screening trials try to find the best way to find cancer, especially in the early stages when it is most curable.
Symptom-control trials test new approaches, medicines, or supplements to manage or prevent some of the side-effects of standard cancer treatments.
Quality-of-Life trials look at different ways to improve a patient’s comfort and overall quality of life throughout the course of treatment.

- -

What are the phases of clinical trials?

Phase I Trials: These initial studies look at how a drug should be given to patients (injection, by mouth, etc.). They also look at what the correct dose is and how often a drug should be given, as well as the safety of a drug. These trials usually enroll only a small number of patients.

Phase II Trials: These studies further test the safety of the drug and how well it works. These studies usually focus on a specific type of disease i.e., breast cancer.

Phase III Trials: These trials will test a new drug, a combination of drugs, or a new approach to a standard procedure (radiation therapy or surgery, for example). These studies usually enroll a much larger number of patients than Phase I or II studies. Patients are usually randomly assigned (like flipping a coin) into a treatment group. Many Phase III studies are conducted nationwide and sometimes internationally.

Source: National Cancer Institute (NCI) – www.cancer.gov

- -

Available Clinical Trials

For breast:

SWOG S0715: Acetyl L-Carnitine (an amino acid) for the prevention of neuropathies caused by chemotherapy.
NSABP B-40: Preoperative chemotherapy for HER2 negative breast cancer patients with or without the addition of Avastin.
NSABP B-41: Preoperative chemotherapy for HER2 positive breast cancer patients with the addition of Herceptin or lapatinib or both.
ACOSOG Z1031: Preoperative hormone manipulation therapy for postmenopausal, hormone receptor positive breast cancer patients using exemestane or letrozole or anastrozole.
NSABP B-39 / RTOG 0413: Partial breast irradiation for breast cancer patients treated with lumpectomy.
NSABP B-43: Radiation therapy with the addition of Herceptin for early stage (in-situ), HER2 positive breast cancer patients treated with lumpectomy.
PACCT-1: Oncotype testing for node-negative, hormone receptor positive breast cancer patients to direct treatment with or without the use of chemotherapy.
SWOG S0221: Comparison of various scheduling and dosing of approved chemotherapy drugs for the treatment of breast cancer.
CALGB 40302: Hormone manipulation therapy using Fluvestrant plus the addition of lapatinib for treatment of postmenopausal, hormone-receptor positive, advanced stage breast cancer.
CALGB 40502: Comparison of 3 different chemotherapy agents each with the addition of Avastin for treatment of advanced stage breast cancer.
CALGB 70604: Comparison of 2 different dosing intervals of Zometa for the treatment of breast or prostate cancer that has spread to the bone or for multiple myeloma.
SWOG S0702: Observation study to assess the incidence of osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients receiving Zometa for the treatment of bone metastasis.

For gastrointestinal (GI):

NSABP R-04: Preoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy for treatment of rectal cancer.
ECOG E5202: The use of molecular markers to determine the high-risk population to be treated with chemotherapy for colon cancer.
CALGB 80405: Standard chemotherapy with the addition of either Avastin or Erbitux for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.
SWOG S0600: Chemotherapy with the addition of Avastin or Erbitux for the treatment of previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer.
SWOG S0727: Chemotherapy with the addition of targeting agents for the treatment of stage IV pancreatic cancer.

For genitourinary (GU):

ECOG E2805: Targeted agents sunitinib or sorafenib as therapy for surgically removed renal cell cancer.
ECOG E2804: Combination targeted agents bevacizumab, sorafenib and temsirolimus for treatment of advanced renal cell cancer.

For lung:

ECOG E1505: Standard chemotherapy with or without Avastin for the treatment of surgically removed non-small cell lung cancer.
SWOG S0424: Case series survey study of Non-Small Cell Lung Ca in smoking & non-smoking women and men. Smoking Group Closed.

For lymphoma:

CALGB 50303: Comparison of two different chemotherapy regimens in the treatment of Large-B Cell Lymphoma.

For melanoma:

MSLT-II John Wayne: Comparison of sentinel lymph node dissection with completion axillary node dissection to sentinel lymph node dissection alone.

- -

Contact our clinical research staff

For questions about our oncology clinical trials program, please call 719-365-2406.

- -

Schedule an appointment

If you, or someone you love, have been diagnosed with cancer, or you think there is a high risk of cancer, schedule a complimentary consultation or find a cancer doctor by calling 719-365-5800.

Please note: a consultation may require a physician's referral. Contact your doctor for more information about the diagnosis or treatment of a medical condition.

» Go to: More contact information & other helpful resources

- -