Cancer researchers at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, along with Bristol Myers Squibb, a leading pharmaceutical company, are actively recruiting patients with resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma cancer to participate in a clinical trial that will measure the effectiveness of the drug Dasatinib, a type of protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
Resectable malignant mesothelioma refers to a type of asbestos cancer that may respond well to surgery. The goal of the clinical trial is to measure the effect that Dasatinib has on biomarker levels in pleural mesothelioma patients. Participants will receive 70 milligrams of Dasatinib twice daily for 28 days. Patients who respond well to the drug may continue Dasatinib for as many as 2 years following surgery.
Produced by Bristol Myers Squibb, Dasatinib is also manufactured under the name Sprycel, is administered orally and has been successful in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Pleural mesothelioma is an exceptionally aggressive type of cancer that occurs in the pleura, or lining of the lungs, and is caused by previous exposure to asbestos. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include difficulty breathing, chest pain, chronic cough, and fluid within the lung cavity. Some patients who are diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma undergo surgery to remove cancerous sections of their lungs, and many will choose to go through several rounds of chemotherapy and opt out of a surgical procedure.
In order to participate in the Dasatinib clinical trial, individuals must be diagnosed with potentially resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma and be 18 years or older. Participants must not have undergone chemotherapy or radiation treatment within the last 3 years. Both men and women are eligible for this trial.
Patients with resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma who are interested in participating in this or any clinical trial should speak with their physician, who will be able to determine whether or not they meet the eligibility requirements and if they are in good enough health overall to begin a new course of mesothelioma treatment.
Those interested in learning more about the Dasatinib clinical trial should contact Dr. Anne Tsao or James Gil, RN, at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The identifier for this particular trial is NCT0065274.
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