Immunotherapy Clinical Trial Aims for Mesothelioma Cure

Medical oncologist Dr. Bernardo Goulart at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) believes his latest clinical trial might be the most curative approach to treatment of pleural mesothelioma. He also believes it could work. Goulart is the principal investigator at SCCA, which has embraced a novel clinical trial that combines the immunotherapy drug Tecentriq (atezolizumab) with a multimodal regimen of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. “The trial design is very intense, requiring multidisciplinary involvement,” Goulart told Asbestos.com. “I think it could provide insight into the next step of research that we will need to cure more people with this disease.” SCCA — which includes the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington Medical Center — is one of multiple sites conducting the clinical trial. The study is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Recruiting Patients to Participate Researchers are hoping for 28 surgical candidates to enroll nationwide. It will start with a chemotherapy and Tecentriq combination, then progress to aggressive surgery followed by possible radiation, and one year of Tecentriq follow-up maintenance. The study will require a substantial commitment from patients and medical center staff — more than the typical clinical trial. Those who undergo an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) also will receive the high dose radiation. Patients having a pleurectomy and decortication (P/D), which spares the ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news