Clinical Trials

Cancer trials are carried out to try to find new and better treatments for cancer. Trials that are carried out on patients are known as clinical trials.

Many drugs and treatments that have been tested in clinical trials are now in common use and without ongoing clinical trials it would not be possible to add to the current knowledge about effective treatments.

Clinical trials of a new treatment rarely stop when specialists agree that it works. There may be better ways of using it, such as giving it in different doses or combining it with other treatments.

The National Cancer Research Network (NCRN) provides the NHS with the infrastructure to support cancer clinical trials in England.

Listed below are the trials currently open or under development for mesothelioma. If you would like further information about clinical trials please speak with your doctor/nurse specialist.
MesoVATS Trial
A study to compare a surgical treatment with a medical treatment for patients with a pleural effusion due to mesothelioma.

For most patients with mesothelioma the first symptom is shortness of breath, which is caused by a build up of fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion). The most common method of controlling the collection of fluid is by inserting a chest drain in the space between the lung and the chest wall, which will drain away the fluid, followed by the insertion of talc to stick the lung up against the chest wall to prevent further collection of fluid (medical pleurodesis).

Over the past five years an alternative procedure has been available namely a video assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) surgical pleurectomy. This procedure appears to be very effective at controlling the build up of fluid around the lungs and may improve survival. However, it may possibly cause more complications because it involves surgery.

The Trial will compare the two procedures to see whether the (VATS) Surgical Pleurectomy offers any benefit over the medical pleurodesis in terms of control of symptoms, improving survival, preventing the fluid in the chest cavity from coming back and your quality of life.

Please follow this link to Cancer Research UK's information on this trial http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/trials/trials/trial.asp?=&trialno=4855
Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Study (MALCS)
This study is looking at the occupations of men and women and the development of mesothelioma and lung cancer in relation to occupation.

Please follow this link to Cancer Research UK's information on this trial http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/trials/trials/trial.asp?=&trialno=2253