Seattle Cancer Center Opens Latest Mesothelioma Clinical Trial

The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance has opened a phase II clinical trial involving durvalumab, the promising immunotherapy drug, in combination with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of unresectable pleural mesothelioma. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already granted accelerated approval to durvalumab in May for the treatment of bladder cancer. Researchers have also lauded the drug for its effectiveness in earlier lung cancer clinical trials. “We have every reason to believe it will be effective with mesothelioma, too,” Dr. Bernardo Goulart, chief trial investigator and medical oncologist at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) told Asbestos.com. “There is great logic behind it. We think this trial offers real hope for these patients.” Durvalumab activates a patient’s immune system to exert a cytotoxic response against tumor cells that overexpress the PD-L1 protein, which is common in several cancers, including mesothelioma. The PD-L1 protein typically allows tumor cells to avoid a patient’s immune system. This is the first time researchers test durvalumab in combination with chemotherapy in a first-line setting for mesothelioma. To qualify for this multicenter trial, patients must not have begun any other type of treatment. “Immunotherapy is going to play a big role in improving outcomes for these patients,” Goulart said. “After decades of no reasonable options, the future is looking brighter. Immunotherapy is one reason for that. This ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: cancer in seattle doctor Bernardo Goulart mesothelioma clinical trials mesothelioma in seattle mesothelioma treatment seattle cancer care alliance Source Type: news