New Mesothelioma clinical trials are performed to test new drugs or procedure, studies are set up to see how effective the treatment is, and what ill effects the mesothelioma treatment may have on patients.
Although there is no cure for malignant mesothelioma cancer, new methods of treatment are continually being developed.
Mesothelioma clinical trials or studies progress in three phases:
Phase 1: This phase involves a small number of patients, and is concerned with how the treatment should be administered to be safe.
Phase 2: This phase gives the first look at how the new cancer treatment might work, and how safe and effective it is.
Phase 3: This phase compares the new treatment with the current standard treatment, and usually involves large numbers of patients.
After each phase, the results are evaluated, and a decision is made whether there is value in continuing the trial. Mesothelioma clinical trials are also monitored while it is going on; if the trial appears to be endangering patients, it can be stopped before it is complete.
Once all phases of the trial are done, the results and all of the data obtained are sent to the FDA for evaluation. Once the FDA has evaluated the results and approved the treatment, it can be made available for general use.
There are several reasons to become part of a mesothelioma clinical trials:
Because there are so few effective options for treatment, particularly in more advanced stages of the disease, clinical trials may provide the best option for treatment, since new treatments may be more effective than the current treatment.
Mesothelioma clinical trials patients also receive meticulous medical care. They are watched carefully during the study, and perhaps afterwards.
Because there appears to be a genetic component to the development of mesothelioma, even if participating in a clinical trial doesn’t directly benefit you, you may be helping other members of your family.
When you become part of a clinical trials for mesothelioma, you will need to sign a document called an “informed consent”. It explains the possible benefits and problems you may have as the result of the treatment, as well as what the researcher expects of you, and your rights as a patient.
ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the NIH, provides a list of mesothelioma clinical trials which are actively recruiting patients. There is also a way to view the trials which are no longer recruiting patients, if you’re interested in seeing what is currently going on with mesothelioma research.
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/?ui=D008654&recruiting=true
CenterWatch is a clinical trials listing service that provides a list of trials by state:
http://www.centerwatch.com/clinical-trials/listings/condition/192/Mesothelioma/
“Learning About Clinical Trials” From the National Cancer Institute web site, https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials
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