Updates from the National Cancer Institute

Clinical Trials Update from NCI, January 2018

Clinical Trials
Updates from the National Cancer Institute
Clinical Trials News
		Video—Immunotherapy Clinical Trials: Sue Scott’s Story of Survival A cancer survivor and a clinical researcher discuss taking part in a cancer treatment clinical trial at NCI’s Center for Cancer Research.
		Acupuncture May Reduce Treatment-Related Joint Pain for Breast Cancer Patients Acupuncture can reduce joint pain caused by drugs called aromatase inhibitors, according to results from a large, rigorous phase 3 clinical trial of this approach in postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer.
Unique Trial Aims to Decrease Early Deaths in Patients with Rare Leukemia In a unique clinical trial, a group of oncologists with experience treating acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) are making themselves available around the clock to help clinicians at hospitals across the country treat their APL patients.
		Prior Cancers Common in Patients Newly Diagnosed with Cancer A new study shows that many patients diagnosed with a new cancer have had one or more cancers in the past, which has potential implications for long-term surveillance and clinical trials enrollment.
		Genomic Profiling Tests Cleared by FDA Can Help Guide Cancer Treatment, Clinical Trial Enrollment The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved two tests to identify genetic alterations in tumors. One of the tests can be used to identify patients who may be candidates to receive specific targeted therapies.
		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.
Clinical Trials Information for Patients and Caregivers
Types of Clinical Trials Several types of clinical trials are used in cancer research, including treatment trials, prevention trials, screening trials, and supportive and palliative care trials. This page discusses the different types of trials and what role each plays in cancer research.
Phases of Clinical Trials Clinical trials to test new cancer treatments involve a series of steps, called phases. If a new treatment is successful in one phase, it will proceed to further testing in the next phase. This page explains the different phases of cancer clinical trials..
Randomization and Bias in Cancer Clinical Trials Phase 3 and some phase 2 trials randomly assign patients to different groups. This practice is called randomization, and it is intended to prevent bias from affecting study results. This page discusses randomization and the prevention of bias in cancer clinical trials.
NCI-Supported Clinical Trials that Are Recruiting Patients
Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the United States, with about 80,000 new cases each year. Immunotherapy treatments have proven effective against this disease and doctors are busily working to find the best therapies for the various stages of bladder cancer. Here are a few studies currently testing immunotherapies in patients with bladder cancer.
Combination Antibody Therapy for Localized High-Grade Bladder Cancer This phase 1 trial is testing the safety and side effects of durvalumab (Imfinzi®), an immunotherapy drug, combined with the immunotoxin oportuzumab monatox in patients with high-grade bladder cancer that hasn’t yet invaded the muscle wall of the bladder. Patients must previously been treated with BCG, a type of treatment used for early-stage bladder cancer, and either not benefited from the treatment or relapse after an initial response.
Antibody Treatment for Recurrent Localized Bladder Cancer This phase 2 trial is testing the ability of atezolizumab (Tecentriq®), an immunotherapy drug, to induce complete responses in patients with bladder cancer that has not spread to the bladder wall. To be eligible for this trial, patients must have had their cancer come back after a initially responding to treatment, and their cancer must be resistant to treatment with BCG, a bacterial therapy used in early-stage bladder cancer.
Immunotherapy for Locally Advanced Bladder Cancer This phase 3 trial is testing the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) in patients with bladder cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes. Pembrolizumab is designed to boost the immune response to cancer by targeting specific molecules that prevent the immune system from attacking cancer cells.