Clinical Trials Update from NCI, July 2020

Clinical Trials
Updates from the National Cancer Institute
Clinical Trials News
		Cancer Researchers Reimagine Clinical Trials in Response to COVID-19 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer researchers are making changes to clinical trials to ensure patient safety and protect the integrity of the trial. Some changes, such as greater use of telemedicine, will likely continue beyond this crisis.
		A New FDA Approval Furthers the Role of Genomics in Cancer Care NCI Director Dr. Norman Sharpless talks about the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to treat people whose cancer is “tumor mutational burden-high.” The new approval highlights the importance of genomic testing to guide treatment, including for children with cancer.
		New Drug Regimen Cures More Children with Aggressive B-Cell Lymphoma Adding rituximab (Rituxan, Truxima) to chemotherapy greatly increases the likelihood of curing children with aggressive Burkitt lymphoma and other B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas, results from a large clinical trial show.
Study Finds Drug Beneficial for Shrinking Mesothelioma Tumors A drug that is designed to boost the immune system against mesothelioma, when combined with immunotherapy, was found to be beneficial in a small study involving ten patients.
Trial Shows Aggressive Cancer Treatment Is Appropriate for People With HIV-Associated CNS Lymphoma Scientists with NCI’s Center for Cancer Research have determined that combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy with antiretroviral therapy can lead to long-lasting remissions of HIV-associated primary central nervous system lymphoma (HIV-PCNSL).
Getting Cancer Clinical Trials in the Community In this new video, researchers in the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) describe this national network and how it brings clinical trials to diverse populations in their own communities.
Clinical Trials Information for Patients and Caregivers
Where Trials Take Place Clinical trials may be closer to you than you think. Cancer clinical trials take place in cities and towns across the United States. Ask your health care provider about clinical trials near you. Or use NCI’s clinical trials search form to look for trials near your ZIP code.
Types of Clinical Trials Types of cancer clinical trials include those for treatment, prevention, screening, and supportive and palliative care. Each type of trial is designed to answer different research questions and will help researchers learn things to help people in the future.
		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
Combination Therapy for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma This phase 1 trial will test the safety and tolerability of adding the experimental drug selinexor to the standard regimen of temozolomide and radiation therapy for people with glioblastoma. In laboratory studies, selinexor has been shown to enhance the sensitivity of glioblastoma cells to radiation. Doctors will also try to determine the maximum tolerated dose of selinexor when used in this way.
Combining Immunotherapies for People with Recurrent T-Cell Cancers This phase 1 trial will test the addition of IL-15 to mogamulizumab for people with T-cell cancers that have either come back after or not responded to earlier treatment. Mogamulizumab is approved by FDA to treat relapsed or refractory adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome, and IL-15 is a protein that stimulates the immune system. Researchers want to determine the safety and side effects as well as the maximum tolerated dose of the combination treatment.
Radioactive Molecule for Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer This phase 1/2 trial will test 177Lu-PSMA-R2 in patients with progressive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer that carries a protein called PSMA. 177Lu-PSMA-R2 is a combination of a radioactive molecule attached to an antibody that specifically targets PSMA on prostate cancer cells. Doctors want to determine the best dose and side effects and see how well it works against this type of prostate cancer.