Lung Cancer

Updated to July 2007

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer accounts for 13 percent of all malign diseases. The average age of patients ranges from 55-65; the disease is more prevalent among men than women.

Treatment for lung cancer may take the form of an operation, chemotherapy, and biological therapies, separately or combined depending on the type of tumor, the stage of the disease, and the patient’s general condition.

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to fight cancer in order to destroy the malignant cells and prevent their multiplication. Chemotherapy drugs are sometimes provided in the form of tablets, but more usually by way of intravenous injection in several cycles of treatment. –New biological drugs (such as Avastin, Iressa, or Tarceba) are usually given together with chemotherapy, radiation, or as a single drug. Clinical trials are currently examining additional drugs in this group (see table).

Active clinical trials in the field of lung cancer at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center

Chief investigator:

Dr. Nili Peylan-Ramu: 050-7874840, email: ramu@hadassah.org.il.

Research coordinator:

Ms. Michele Peleg: 050-8573092, email: michele@hadassah.org.il.

	Study Name	Description of Study	Conditions of Acceptance for Study
1	Initial Assessment of the effect of the addition of Disulfiram (Antabuse) to standard chemotherapy in Non Small Cell  Lung cancer (NSCLC).	Disulfiram is a drug administered orally, without side effects, that prevents the creation of new blood cells feeding the tumor. The study seeks to examine whether the  inclusion of Disulfiram in standard chemotherapy improves the treatment outcomes.	Patients with advanced local non-small cell or metastatic lung cancer, aged 18 and above, who have not yet received chemotherapy and whose general condition is good.
2	A phase3, randomized, double-blinded, multi-center study to assess the efficacy and safety of ZD6474 (ZACTIMA) in combination with Pemetrexed (Alimta) versus Pemetrexed alone in patients with locally advanced or metastatic (stage3B or 4) non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of 1st line anti-cancer therapy.	Alimta is a drug with mild side effects and Zactima is a drug given in tablet form that delays the division of malignant cells and prevents the creation of new blood vessels feeding the tumor. The study aims to examine whether the addition of Zactima to accepted second line treatment, Alimta, improves the treatment outcomes.	Lung cancer patients of non-small cell type in an advanced localized stage (stage 3B) or metastatic stage (stage 4), after failure of one chemotherapy treatment only.
3	A phase 2, multicenter, non-randomized study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral pazopanib (GW786034) as presurgical therapy in treatment-naïve subjects with stage IA, IB, II resectable Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).	Pazopanib is a drug administered orally, without side effects, that prevents the division and feeding of malignant cells. The study aims to examine whether treatment with Pazopanib prior to standard surgery for removal of the tumor prevents recurrence.	Patients with non-small cell lung cancer with restricted and operable disease (stages IA, IIA, B), pre-surgery.
4	A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase IIIb trial comparing Bevacizumab therapy with or without Erlotinib after completion of chemotherapy with Bevacizumab for the first-line treatment of locally advanced, recurring metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).	Patients with non-small cell type lung cancer in advanced stages will receive chemotherapy including Avastin intravenously as a first line treatment, followed by treatment with Avastin combined or not combined with Tarceba administered orally.	Patients with non-small cell lung cancer with advanced, recurring, or metastatic local disease (stages IIIB or IV) who have not yet receive chemotherapy, including patients with brain metastases who have received brain radiation.
5	A phase III, multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of Avastin (Bevacizumad) in combination with Tarceva (Erlotinib) compared with Tarceva alone for treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of standard first-line chemotherapy.	Non-small cell lung cancer patients after failure of one line of treatment will receive a combination of Avastin intravenously with or without Tarceba administered orally.	Patients with non-small cell lung cancer who have not responded or whose disease has returned following one line of chemotherapy, including patients who received brain radiation due to brain metastases.