For mesothelioma patients and their families, the possibility of the discovery of new mesothelioma treatments remains a ray of hope. But it can also be a frustrating wait. That’s where a mesothelioma clinical trial comes in.
In the popular current movie Dallas Buyers Club, a Texas rodeo rider who receives a diagnosis of HIV becomes frustrated with the limited treatments available to him. Instead of waiting for new drugs to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), he drives down to Mexico to seek out experimental unapproved treatments and brings back large quantities to sell to other HIV patients.
At Meso Circle, we do not recommend seeking out unauthorized treatments. But there is another option. You may be able to obtain access to experimental treatments by participating in an official mesothelioma clinical trial offered by the National Cancer Institute. These clinical drug trials are a key step for new mesothelioma treatments to win FDA approval. Here’s one recruiting now.
SS1P and Pentostatin Plus Cyclophosphamide for Mesothelioma
Overview – Mesothelin is a protein that is found in mesothelioma and other types of cancer cells. An experimental cancer drug called SS1P is designed to attack cells that have mesothelin while leaving healthy cells alone. Researchers want to test how effective SS1P is when it is given with pentostatin and cyclophosphamide. These drugs help suppress the immune system and may make the SS1P more effective.
- First received – May 27, 2011
- Last updated – December 20, 2013
- Sponsor – National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Purpose – To study the effectiveness of SS1P plus two drugs that suppress the immune system to treat malignant mesothelioma.
- Design –
- The first treatment cycle will last 30 days. Up to three 21-day cycles of treatment will follow.
- In the first cycle, participants will have pentostatin on days 1, 5, and 9. They will have cyclophosphamide on days 1 through 12. They will have SS1P on days 10, 12, and 14.
- On the next three cycles, participants will have pentostatin on day 1.They will have cyclophosphamide on days 1 through 4. They will have SS1P on days 2, 4, and 6.
- Participants will have frequent blood tests and other studies. They will receive all four cycles of treatment as long as there are no severe side effects.
- Participants will have regular follow-up visits as directed by the study doctors.
Estimated Enrollment – 47 mesothelioma patients
- Eligibility – Malignant mesothelioma in the chest or abdomen
- Contacts and locations –
| Yvonne D Mallory, R.N. | (301) 402-0255 | malloryy@mail.nih.gov |
| Raffit Hassan, M.D. | (301) 451-8742 | hassanr@mail.nih.gov |
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD 20892