Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program

The Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program, under sponsorship of the National Cancer Institute, is designed to promote and support clinical trials of new treatments for cancer, explore methods of cancer prevention and early detection and study quality of life issues in cancer patients. The various groups include researchers, community physicians and cancer centers throughout the US, Canada and Europe, and work in conjunction with the National Cancer Institute to identify research questions and design clinical trials to answer those questions. The groups share a common goal in developing and conducting large-scale, multi-institutional clinical trials.

In 1955, the Cooperative Group Program was established after Congress approved increased support for studies of chemotherapy for cancer, and appropriated $5 million for the NCI to establish the Chemotherapy National Service Center. The initial focus of the program was to test new anti-cancer agents in the NCI=s development program, however, over time, the emphasis has shifted to studies of combined therapy approaches.

The Cooperative Group Program includes more than 1,700 institutions and thousands of investigators who participate in NCI-supported studies. More than 22,000 patients per year are placed into cancer treatment trials by the cooperative groups.

At this time four Cooperative Groups are involved in trials for mesothelioma:

Phase II Study of Dasatinib in Patients With Previously Treated Malignant Mesothelioma (Cancer and Leukemia Group B)
Click here for an abstract of this trial
Phase II Randomized Study of Pemetrexed Disodium Combined With Either Gemcitabine or Carboplatin in Patients With Advanced Malignant Mesothelioma of the Pleura (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group)
Click here for an abstract of this trial
Phase II Study of Pazopanib Hydrochloride in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (North Central Cancer Treatment Group)
Click here for an abstract of this trial
Phase II Study of AZD2171 in Patients With Unresectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (Southwest Oncology Group)
Click here for an abstract of this trial

These trials are currently accruing mesothelioma patients in numerous locations nationwide. If you are interested in enrolling in a clinical trial, you should discuss the possibility with your health care provider.

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