The search for effective cancer treatments begins with basic research in the laboratory and with animal studies. The best, most promising results of that initial research are tested in studies involving people. These studies are called clinical trials.

Only patients who wish to do so take part in a clinical trial. With any new treatment there may be risks as well as benefits. Even standard treatments can bring risks or possible side effects. A patient should know about potential risks and side effects before agreeing to any course of treatment. Then the patient and his or her physician decide together whether participation in a clinical trial is appropriate.

Researchers at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center participate in many clinical trials investigating treatments for a wide range of diseases, such as leukemia, lymphoma, gastrointestinal and gynecologic malignancies as well as cancers of the lung, breast and prostate.

Some of these trials are sponsored by the National Cancer Institute through cooperative groups involving many hospitals across the nation. These trials include the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, Cancer and Leukemia Group B, and Gynecologic Oncology Group. Ellis Fischel investigators also conduct drug studies for pharmaceutical companies and their own, in-house studies.

Some clinical trials examine the effectiveness of one particular treatment in one group of patients. Other trials compare two or more treatments in separate groups of patients, who are alike in certain ways, such as the extent of their disease. This enables researchers to compare treatment results. Doctors who conduct clinical trials follow a treatment plan, or protocol, that explains what will be done and why.

For more information on current clinical trials, please call (573) 882-7440 or for a specific clinical trial, click on the disease below.

Breast Cancer

CALGB/SWOG S0307: Phase III Trial of Bisphosphonates as Adjuvant Therapy for Primary Breast Cancer. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00127205?term=S0307&rank=2

CALGB 40101- Cyclophosphamide and Doxorubicin (CA)(4 VS 6 Cycles) versus Paclitaxel (4 weeks VS 6 weeks) as adjuvant  therapy for women with node-negative breast cancer: A 2X2 http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00041119?term=CALGB+40101&rank=1

CIRB E5103- A Double Blind Phase III Trial of Doxorubicin and Cyclophosphamide Followed by Paclitaxel with Bevacizumab or Placebo in Patients with Lymph Node Positive and High Risk Lymph Node Negative Breast Cancer. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00433511?term=E5103&rank=1              

CALGB 369901: Observational Cohort Study: Chemotherapy Decisions and Outcomes in Women Age 65 or Older with Operable, Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00068328?term=CALGB+369901&rank=1

CALGB 40503 - Endocrine Therapy in Combination with Anti-VEGF Therapy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase III Trial of Endocrine Therapy Alone or Endocrine Therapy Plus Bevacizumab (NSC 704865; IND 7921) for Women with Hormone Receptor-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00601900?term=CALGB+40503&rank=1

ECOG-PACCT-1: Program for the Assessment of Clinical Cancer Tests (PACCT-1): Trial Assigned Individualized Options for Treatment: the Tailorx Trial. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00310180?term=PACCT&rank=1

NSABP B-40: Randomized Phase III Trial of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Palpable and Operable Breast Cancer Evaluating the Effect on Pathologic Complete Response (pCR) of Adding Capecitabine or Gemcitabine to Docetaxel when Administered Following AC and Correlative Science Studies Attempting to Identify Predictors of High Likelihood for pCR with Each of the Regimens. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00408408?term=NSABP+B+40&rank=1

NSABP B-41: A Randomized Phase III Trial of Neoadjuvant Therapy for Patients with Palpable and Operable HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Comparing the Combination of Trastuzumab Plus Lapatinib to Trastuzumab and to Lapatinib Administered with Weekly Paclitaxel Following AC Accompanied by Correlative Science Studies to Identify Predictors of Pathologic Complete Response. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00486668?term=NSABP+B+41&rank=1

NSABP B42- A Clinical Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Five Years of Letrozole Compared to Placebo in Patients Completing Five Years of Hormonal Therapy Consisting of an Aromatase Inhibitor (AI) or Tamoxifen Followed by an AI in Prolonging Disease-Free Survival In Postmenopausal Women with Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00382070?term=NSABP+B+42&rank=1

NSABP B-44: A Multicenter Phase III Randomized Trial of Adjuvant Therapy for Patients with HER2-Positive Node-Positive or High Risk Node-Negative Breast Cancer Comparing Chemotherapy Plus Trastuzumab with Chemotherapy Plus Trastuzumab Plus Bevacizumab: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00625898?term=NSABP+B+44&rank=1

NSABP B-43: Radiation Therapy With or Without Trastuzumab in Treating Women With Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Who Have Undergone Lumpectomy http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00769379?term=NSABP+B+43&rank=1

Genentech TDM4450g: A Randomized, Multicenter, Phase II Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Trastuzumab-MCC-DM1 (T-DM1)vs. Trastuzumab (Herceptin) and Docetaxel (Taxotere) in Patients with Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Who Have Not Received Prior Chemotherapy for Metastatic Disease. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00679341?term=genentech+AND+tdm+AND+g&rank=6

CALGB 40502 - A Randomized Phase III Trial of Weekly Paclitaxel Compared to Weekly Nanoparticle Albumin Bound NAB-Paclitaxel or Ixabepilone Combined with Bevacizumab as First-Line Therapy for Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Breast Cancer http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00785291?term=CALGB+40502&rank=1

CALGB 40302 - Endocrine Therapy With or Without Inhibition of EGF and HER2 Growth Factor Receptors: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase III Trial of Fulvestrant With or Without Lapatinib (GW572016) For Postmenopausal Women With Hormone Receptor Positive Advanced Breast Cancer http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00390455?term=CALGB+40302&rank=1

Lung Cancer

CALGB 140202 (for patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer)
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00899782?term=CALGB+140202&rank=1

CALGB/ECOG E1505 (for patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer)
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00324805?term=CALGB+E1505&rank=1

CALGB 30605 (for patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer)
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00553462?term=CALGB+30605&rank=1

CALGB 306010 (for patients with small cell lung cancer)
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00632853?term=CALGB+30610&rank=1

CALGB30504 (for patients with small cell lung cancer)
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00453154?term=CALGB+30504&rank=1

CALGB30704 (for patients with stage IIIB or stage IV non-small cell lung cancer)
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00698815?term=CALGB+30704&rank=1