The MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX is currently recruiting participants for their ongoing chemotherapy study entitled Phase I Trial of Cisplatin, Pemetrexed, and Imatinib Mesylate in Unresectable or Metastatic Malignant Mesothelioma.

As a Phase I trial, the study's primary endpoint is the determination of the maximum tolerated dose for a chemotherapy regimen using pemetrexed, cisplatin and imatinib for mesothelioma patients. Along with this objective, the study has designated a number of secondary endpoints as well, including the exploration of the biologic effects of this regimen on tumor tissue and on surrogate serum markers and an assessment of the therapy's overall rate of response. Other secondary endpoints have been defined as well and can be viewed at the trial's home page on www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Patients will have to meet a number of specific requirements for enrollment in the study. These requirements include a number of positive indications that must be met, as well as a number of exclusion criteria that will disallow the patient from enrolling in the study if he or she satisfies any of them. If the patient meets these criteria and his or her initial workup is positive, the patient will then be enrolled in the study and will start on imatinib right away. A week after this, the patient will then commence the first of six cycles of cisplatin and pemetrexed administration. Each of these cycles will last 28 days. Every four weeks physical examinations will be given and then CT or MRI will be given every eight weeks to measure tumor response. After these 6 cycles, the patient will stop cisplatin and pemetrexed, but will continue the imatinib for up to a month. When treatment is completed, the patient will have his or her end-of-study visit, where a final set of tests and scans will be conducted.

This study is being conducted by Anne S. Tsao, MD, at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. The contact information is the following:

Anne S. Tsao, MD
U.T.M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas 77030
713-792-6363

Cisplatin, Pemetrexed, and Imatinib Mesylate in Malignant Mesothelioma

Labels: chemotherapy, mesothelioma