A new clinical trial sponsored by the University Health Network in Toronto, Canada in collaboration with drug company Eli Lilly is recruiting patients with malignant mesothelioma cancer. The trial will test the effectiveness of a drug known as Pemetrexed, or Alimta® when combined with Cisplatin® plus surgery and subsequent radiation therapy.
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and deadly form of cancer caused by previous asbestos exposure There are three types of mesothelioma cancer: pleural mesothelioma, which is the most commonly diagnosed form and manifests in the pleural lining of the lungs; peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs in the lining of the abdomen, or the peritoneum, and pericardial mesothelioma, said to be the most rare and is found in the pericardium, or lining of the heart. While palliative mesothelioma treatment methods are often effective, there is no known cure for mesothelioma, and the majority of patients pass away within two years of receiving their diagnosis.
Total removal of malignant mesothelioma tumors is possible less than half of the time. If thoracic oncologists are in fact able to remove an entire malignancy, the patient’s best option for follow-up treatment is chemotherapy and subsequent radiation. This process is known as Trimodality Therapy, and despite the effectiveness of this aggressive form of treatment, the chances that a tumor will form again are quite high.
Oncologists and drug researchers believe that a combination of Pemextred, a chemotherapy drug marketed as Alimta®, is especially effective in treating patients with pleural mesothelioma when combined with Cisplatin®, another anti-cancer medicine. This duo has been approved as a standard course of treatment for those suffering from this type of cancer.
The trial, which was first accepted by ClinicalTrials.gov in May of 2009, is a Phase II trial recruiting approximately 45 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma to participate. Ideal candidates will be 18 years of age or older [the average age of a mesothelioma patient is between 50 and 70] and both male and female patients may apply. Patients must be M0 and must not have undergone previous chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Patients must have a life expectancy of more than 3 months, as stated by a radiation oncologist or thoracic surgeon.
Those selected will receive a 500 mg/m2 IV infusion of Alimta® every three weeks within a three cycle period, following by 75 mg/m2 IV infusion of Cisplatin® for the same time period. The study was initially scheduled to begin in January of last year and run until January 2020, and recruits are still being accepted.
Those interested should speak with their personal physician or a recommended oncologist prior to contacting the clinical trial representatives. Not all malignant mesothelioma patients are eligible or healthy enough to participate.
For additional information, please contact Principal Researcher Dr. Ron Feld at the University Health Network, Toronto. The trial ID is NCT00895648. To inquire about eligibility, please email Andrea Foster (Andrea.Foster@uhn.on.ca, 416-946-4501 ext. 5010) or Jennifer Hornby (Jennifer.Hornby@uhn.on.ca). Dr. Feld will be assisted by Dr. Marc dePerrot and Dr. John Cho.
The official title of the study is Phase II Study of Neo-Adjuvant Pemetrexed (ALIMTA) Plus Cisplatin Followed by Surgery and Radiation Therapy for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, and more information can be found on ClinicalTrials.gov.
The Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center has been accredited by the Health On the Net Foundation and is approved by DisabilityInfo.gov. Please visit the MAA Center website for additional content focused on mesothelioma cancer.
