Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

Seeking better therapies

Mesothelioma clinical trials are research studies designed to test the safety and effectiveness of new mesothelioma drugs and experimental procedures―including chemotherapy drug combinations, surgeries, and other techniques such as radiation and immunotherapy. Typically, these trials are sponsored and at least partially paid for by the federally funded National Institutes of Health, drug companies, and/or medical institutions that specialize in treating cancer.

Participants in mesothelioma clinical trials are volunteers who must qualify for inclusion in a particular study based on criteria such as the location of their mesothelioma cells, the stage of the disease, and their responses to previous treatments.

Mesothelioma clinical trial phases

There are usually three phases of mesothelioma clinical trials that precede approval and widespread implementation of new mesothelioma drugs and experimental procedures.

• Phase I trials determine how recently developed drugs and mesothelioma experimental procedures should be administered. These are considered the riskiest trials because little is known at that point about what dosage will work or what the side effects may be. The number of patients is usually relatively small.
• Phase II trials focus on if the new drugs and experimental procedures actually work. The goal is to determine the effectiveness in patients with particular mesothelioma types or stages.
• After the new drugs and mesothelioma experimental procedures have been proven effective, Phase III mesothelioma clinical trials focus on determining how they compare to the approved treatments currently in use. Most patients who participate in mesothelioma clinical trials are enrolled in Phase III trials.

Weighing risks versus benefits

Most mesothelioma clinical trials combine the potential benefits―for improved treatment and better survival rates or pain relief―with a possible worse outcome than the patient would have gotten from the standard treatments. The American Cancer Society points out some of the key opportunities and risks involved in mesothelioma clinical trials:

Opportunities

• Access to treatments that may be safer or more effective than current standard care
• More treatment options available to you
• Healthcare from some of the leading experts in the field
• Extra attention from the healthcare team, including monitoring responses and side effects
• In some cases, depending on sponsors, free or reduced-cost medical treatment
• By helping to advance research you may help future mesothelioma victims

Possible downsides

• Unexpected side effects
• Treatment that may not work for you even if it is effective for others
• Inconvenience of travel to the study site
• No choice of which treatment you get if you participate in a randomized trial
• May not work as well as the standard treatment would have
• Insurance coverage may not apply