Clinical Trials Update from NCI, August 2019

Clinical Trials Update from NCI, August 2019

Clinical Trials
Updates from the National Cancer Institute
Clinical Trials News
		Study Tests Immunotherapy in People with Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases An NCI-funded clinical trial is testing the immunotherapy drug nivolumab (Opdivo) in people who have advanced cancer and an autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or multiple sclerosis, who are often excluded from such trials.
Pembrolizumab Approved for Some Patients with Advanced Esophageal Cancer The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to treat some people with advanced esophageal cancer based on data from two clinical trials.
		Targeted Drug Erdafitinib Benefits Some Patients with Advanced Bladder Cancer New clinical trial findings confirm that the targeted therapy erdafitinib (Balversa) can benefit patients with advanced bladder cancer whose tumors have a genetic alteration in one of the four FGFR genes.
NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Expands to More States NCI has awarded 53 grants to researchers in the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) to conduct multi-site cancer clinical trials and cancer care delivery studies in their communities. NCORP’s 7 Research Base grantees design the multi-institutional clinical trials and other human subject studies carried out by the NCORP network. NCORP’s 32 Community Sites and 14 Minority/Underserved (M/U) Community Sites, along with more than 1,000 affiliates across the country, now cover 44 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Puerto Rico and Guam.
		New Infographic Shows Lifecycle of Drug Development A new infographic titled “Why Invest in Basic Science?” illustrates the development lifecycle of the drug crizotinib (Xalkori). The infographic succinctly presents the translation of basic discovery to first-in-human trial to the clinical trials leading to FDA approval and beyond as the drug is tested in new patient groups and combination regimens.
Clinical Trials Information for Patients and Caregivers
Patient Safety in Clinical Trials Patient safety is of paramount importance in the conduct of any clinical trial. This page discusses some of the ways patients participating in clinical trials are protected.
Informed Consent Informed consent is a process through which prospective clinical trial participants learn details about the trial before deciding whether to take part. Learn more about this critical part of ensuring patient safety in research.
Children's Assent Children are not able to give true informed consent until they turn 18. So, before taking part in a clinical trial, they are asked for their assent, meaning they agree to take part. Learn more about children’s assent to participate in clinical trials.
		Find NCI-Supported Clinical Trials Use our search form to find a clinical trial or other research study that may be right for you or a loved one.
NCI-Supported Clinical Trials That Are Recruiting Patients
Genetic Testing to Guide Treatment for Patients with Brain Metastases This phase 2 trial studies how well genetic testing works in guiding treatment for patients with solid tumors that have spread to the brain. Several genes have been found to be mutated in brain metastases, and this trial will test if basing treatment decisions on these genetic mutations leads to anticancer activity and clinical responses.
Preventing High-Risk Adenomas and Second Cancers in Colon Cancer Survivors This phase 3 trial will test whether the drugs sulindac and eflornithine can help prevent the recurrence of high-risk polyps or development of second cancers in people who have undergone curative surgery for colon cancer. Doctors will closely monitor trial participants throughout the study to detect the recurrence of high-risk adenomas or the development of new colon or rectal cancers.
Combination Therapy for Untreated Aggressive B-cell Lymphomas This phase 2 trial is testing whether adding acalabrutinib (Calquence) to standard first-line rituximab and chemotherapy for patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, will improve the cure rate for these cancers. Acalabrutinib blocks a protein known to be important for the survival of B-cell lymphomas.