The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts are recruiting patients with resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma to participate in a clinical trial that will test the effectiveness of the drug combination Cisplatin and Gemcitabine (Gemzar) in patients who have previously undergone surgery to remove cancerous tumors. Renowned mesothelioma specialist Dr. David Sugarbaker of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital International Mesothelioma Program and Division of Thoracic Surgery will serve as Principal Investigator of research, along with Dr. Tamara Tilleman.
Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug used to treat patients with mesothelioma cancer and is often used in tandem with other drugs, including Alimta or Doxorubicin. This particular trial will establish whether or not patients who have successfully undergone Extrapleural Pneumonectomy (a surgical procedure that removes cancerous tissue on the pleural lining of the lungs) will benefit from the combination of Cisplatin and Gemcitabine following their surgery. Participants will also receive Amifostine (a drug administered with Cisplatin to prevent buildup of toxins in the kidneys) and Sodium Thiosulfate (which reduces toxins from attacking normal cells during chemo treatment) along with the Cisplatin and Gemcitabine combination.
Following Extrapleural Pneumonectomy and recovery, participants will begin additional treatment, which involves administering a dose of Amifostine, followed by Cisplatin and Gemcitabine and a dose of Sodium Thiosulfate at the conclusion of the hour-long chemotherapy session. Dosage of Cisplatin will remain the same throughout the course of the trial, while the dose of Gemcitabine will increase. If patient’s display signs of renal toxicity, their Gemcitabine dose will remain the same. In addition to determining the overall effectiveness of this chemotherapy drug combination, Dr. Sugarbaker and his research staff hope to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of Gemcitabine that is unobjectionable by patients.
The trial, which began recruiting in November of 2010, is set to conclude in January of 2010. The identifier for the trial is NCT00571298, and those interested in participating should contact Dr. David Sugarbaker at the International Mesothelioma Program at 617-732-5004 or dsugarbaker@partners.org.
Patients suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma should speak with their doctor to determine whether or not they are eligible to participate. Participants must be 18 years of age or older and be good candidates for Extrapleural Pneumonectomy.
Mesothelioma.com encourages all pleural mesothelioma patients to consider participating in clinical trials, as it may be a very beneficial method of mesothelioma treatment.
