Mesothelioma Clinical Trials [2024 Updated]

Researchers are constantly seeking improved treatments for mesothelioma and other cancers. Mesothelioma clinical trials are one way that scientists are trying to find new methods of helping patients. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is wise to educate yourself about current clinical trials. You should also speak with your doctor to gauge what may or may not be right for your situation.

What Is a Clinical Trial?

Clinical trials are researched studies that evaluate the effectiveness of new medical interventions. These studies are meticulously designed and can examine various therapeutics, like medications, treatment approaches, or medical devices. In mesothelioma clinical trials, the patients have a critical role in helping advance treatment options for this aggressive cancer.

Types of Clinical Trials

There are many types of clinical trials and ways to classify them. Depending on the relevant aspect, someone may categorize clinical trials by intervention type, purpose, or phase.

Interventional vs. Observational Trials

The main difference between interventional and observational trials is that, in observational trials, researchers do not intervene or introduce anything into the trial. Observational trials involve researchers observing patients and collecting data on patient health, behaviors, risk factors, and other details. These trials help researchers find trends, connections between factors, and hypotheses for future trials.

In interventional trials, the researchers intervene. These trials are meant to introduce the participants to a medication, surgical procedure, or medical device. After the introduction, the researchers compare the outcomes of the group they intervened with and those of a control group that did not receive intervention. Scientists classify these trials based on their phase, purpose, and scale.

The phases of interventional trials are:

• Phase I commonly tests the intervention for the first time with a small group. This phase is meant to evaluate safe dosages and possible side effects.
• Phase II studies the treatments that pass Phase I but need to be tested on a larger group to ensure that there are no unintended adverse effects.
• Phase III consists of studies conducted on large, diverse populations encompassing different cities, regions, and countries. This phase usually determines the approval of the treatment.
• Phase IV studies occur after a country approves a treatment. This phase can happen over a much larger timeframe and population size than any other.

Clinical Trials Examined by Purpose

While the general scope of a clinical trial is to examine the validity of a treatment or medical product, the specific purpose of a trial can vary. Purposes for clinical trials usually fall into one of the leading clinical trial categories, such as:

Treatment Trials

Treatment trials seek to evaluate whether treatment approaches are safe and effective. Typically, researchers compare a new treatment to an existing treatment or placebo.

Prevention Trials

Prevention trials check the effectiveness of interventions to prevent diseases or certain conditions. Examples of prevention trials include testing vaccines, lifestyle modifications, or medications to see if they reduce the risk of developing an illness.

Diagnostic Trials

Diagnostic trials examine new methods for diagnosing diseases. Researchers compare new methods with standard methods to determine the new method’s effectiveness.

Screening Trials

Screening trials assess a new approach’s effectiveness at identifying high-risk people when developing a disease. These trials aim to find the most effective way to detect diseases early while treatment can be most beneficial.

Quality-of-Life Trials

Quality-of-life trials look at different interventions’ impact on a person’s quality of life.

Finding and Joining a Mesothelioma Clinical Trial

There may be a mesothelioma clinical trial happening near you. Current and upcoming clinical trials can be found in online databases. The optimal way to locate a clinical trial is to search a government website or contact your doctor.

Clinical trials have criteria outlining who can participate, the purpose of the trial, potential risks and benefits, and the schedules and procedures involved. Communicating with your doctor before attempting to join a trial can ensure that you take into account these important and relevant factors:

• Your mesothelioma diagnosis and stage
• Your overall health
• Travel considerations
• Benefits and risks

It is important to address and understand each of these factors to determine whether the trial is right for you.

FAQs

Q: Are There Any Trials for Mesothelioma?

A: There are trials for mesothelioma. The type of trials that exist and are available to you may vary, depending on factors such as your location. Many types of clinical trials exist, such as prevention trials, screening trials, and treatment trials.

If you are interested in a mesothelioma trial, know that trials like these often last several years and have many phases. In a trial, the study sponsor could prematurely suspend or terminate it early if the results are inadequate.

Q: What Is the Newest Treatment for Mesothelioma?

A: Researchers are actively developing new treatments for mesothelioma, even though there is still no cure for the cancer. The advancements in treatment offer hope for improved patient outcomes and a chance that continued research could achieve a cure.

Patients who desire new treatment exploration should consult with a medical professional to see which new treatment would ideally fit their situation. Some of the more promising new treatments include:

• Immunotherapy
• Gene therapy
• Epigenetic therapy
• Photodynamic therapy
• Targeted therapy
• Vaccines

Q: How Long Will I Live If I Have Mesothelioma?

A: The amount of time you will live if you have mesothelioma depends on many factors, which are not limited to when the discovery of your cancer happens. The life expectancy of people diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma depends on the general patient’s health, type and location of the cancer, treatment options, and stage at diagnosis. People diagnosed earlier can have a more favorable prognosis than others who were diagnosed later.

Survival rates for mesothelioma are typically less than two years, but some people have lived much longer than this, and the number has increased over time.

Q: What Are the Odds of Beating Mesothelioma?

A: The odds of beating mesothelioma are complicated, as there is no cure. However, by mixing different treatment methods, many patients experience positive results and live longer than they otherwise would. Treatments can slow the progression of the disease and improve the quality of life. In some cases, combining traditional treatments with alternative therapies can extend mesothelioma sufferers’ life expectancy beyond their initial prognosis.
Some alternative therapies are optimal nutrition, stress reduction techniques, and palliative therapies.

Stay Updated on Clinical Trials

If you would like to join a clinical trial, it is wise to consult your doctor. They can ensure that you know of upcoming clinical trials and determine whether you are a good fit for them. At Wallace & Graham, we hope for a brighter future for everyone diagnosed with mesothelioma. Contact us today to seek compensation from any party that negligently exposed you to asbestos and caused your mesothelioma.