Cancer Clinical Trial Update

Time for a clinical trial update.

What are clinical trials?

Basically a clinical trial is a scientific research involving people, that studies the effects of a new medication, therapy or device to determine if it is safe and effective.

In the United States, clinical trials are monitored by the Food and Drug Administration.

The Phases of a Clinical Trial:

Phase I evaluates dosage parameters.

Phase II continues to evaluate safety and begins to study efficacy.

Phase III compares the new drug with standards of care or if there are none, a placebo.

Phase IV is used if the drug normally used as a standard is to be used for another condition or if the formulation is changed. This phase may also be used for extended studies on drug side effects.

Cancer clinical trials may involve studies of prevention of cancer or the treatment of cancer.

For more information see the Battling Cancer archives on the topic.

Enlight:

Participants needed for the Enlight Clinical Research Study. Researchers and doctors at medical facilities in the United States and Canada are studying two procedures in treating prostate cancer. If you are male, aged 60 or older, and have a diagnosis of low-risk, localized prostate cancer, you may qualify for this study.

The purpose of the study is to compare the safety and effectiveness of a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) procedure to cryotherapy (freeze therapy), a standard-of-care, minimally invasive treatment for prostate cancer.

More information and an online pre screening are available now.

SUCCEED

(Sarcoma Multi-Center Clinical Evaluation of the Efficacy of Deforolimus) Phase III clinical trial.

Based on Phase II findings, the SUCCEED trial was initiated to continue the study of deforolimus in metastatic sarcomas. The overall purpose of SUCCEED is to see if deforolimus, an investigational agent, can increase the time interval that patients’ tumors do not grow.

Take the survey to find out if you qualify for the SUCCEED trial.

Baylor College of Medicine has many important breast cancer studies going. One of particular interest is The Esomeprazole for Nausea and Vomiting Study:

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Esomeprazole in Suppressing Nausea and Vomiting in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

The common chemotherapy drugs used for breast cancer patients can cause feelings of nausea and may cause vomiting. Drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPI) have been developed that stop stomach acid production. PPIs are approved to treat heartburn, ulcers, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This study will look at a PPI called esomeprazole as a way to reduce the amount of nausea and vomiting seen in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

For more information on qualifying candidates check here.

The IFPMA Clinical Trial Portal is a new site that allows clinical trial research and pediatric clinical trials. The IFPMA Clinical Trials Portal is now accredited by the Health on the Net Foundation and complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information.

For more information on current clinical trials:

ClinicalTrials.gov not only lists registries of current clinical trials in the U.S and other countries but breaks them down according to condition, drug, sponsor and location.

World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. “The mission of the WHO Registry Platform is to ensure that a complete view of research is accessible to all those involved in health care decision making.”

National Cancer Institute Information on Clinical Trials, including a detailed fact sheet called Clinical Trials and Insurance Coverage: A Resource Guide.

CRISP, Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects. “A biomedical database system containing information on research projects and programs supported by the Dept. of Health and Human Services.”

Center Watch: Clinical Trials Listing Service. This site provides a notification services for new clinical trials.

The American Cancer Society, Clinical Trials Matching Service. “… a free, confidential program that helps patients, their families, and health care workers find cancer clinical trials most appropriate to a patient’s medical and personal situation.”