Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

There is currently no known cure for mesothelioma. There are, however, clinical trials underway to test new drugs and procedures in the fight against mesothelioma. Clinical trials or studies are divided into three different phases:

Phase I trials usually enroll a small number of people. The goal of a Phase I trial is to determine the most effective way to administer a new procedure or drug and in what dose they should be administered.

Phase II trials involve a larger number of people than Phase I trials. Phase II trials attempt to determine whether a treatment is safe and what side effects might occur. The goal is to evaluate how effective a particular treatment is, and to provide information about benefit and safety.

Phase III trials compare new drugs or procedures with the current treatments. Large numbers of people from across the country generally participate in Phase III trials. They receive either the new treatment or the standard one. The goal is to help doctors to determine whether the new treatment shows an advantage over existing ones.

Every effort is made to ensure the safety of participating patients, but risks still do remain. Before deciding to participate in clinical trials, you should learn as much as possible about the trial and discuss possible risks versus possible benefits with your physician.

For a list of clinical trials that are currently recruiting patients, click here. You can search geographically for one near you.