Clinical Research Directory

Testing the Addition of Targeted Radiation Therapy to Surgery and the Usual Chemotherapy Treatment (Pemetrexed and Cisplatin [or Carboplatin]) for Stage I-IIIA Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

This trial studies how well the addition of targeted radiation therapy to surgery and the usual chemotherapy treatment works for the treatment of stage I-IIIA malignant pleural mesothelioma. Targeted radiation therapy such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy or pencil beam scanning uses high energy rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as pemetrexed, cisplatin, and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving targeted radiation therapy in addition to surgery and chemotherapy may work better than surgery and chemotherapy alone for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Pembrolizumab in Treating Patients With Malignant Mesothelioma

This phase II trial studies how well pembrolizumab works in treating patients with malignant mesothelioma, a cancer of the linings around the lungs (pleura) or abdomen (peritoneum). Monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, work by blocking a protein called programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) which may stimulate an immune response and kill tumor cells.

NEoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy for a Selected Group of Inoperable Pleural Mesothelioma Patients (NECIM): a Feasibility Study

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy can make surgery possible in adults with inoperable pleural mesothelioma (a type of cancer affecting the lung lining). The main questions it aims to answer are: Can two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and dual immunotherapy, followed by surgery, be completed safely and effectively? Does this treatment allow previously inoperable patients to become eligible for surgery and improve survival outcomes? Participants will: Receive two cycles of chemotherapy (cisplatin or carboplatin and pemetrexed) Receive dual immunotherapy (nivolumab and ipilimumab) Undergo evaluation by a multidisciplinary team to determine if surgery is possible If operable, undergo extended pleurectomy/decortication surgery Be followed for one year to assess side effects, quality of life, and survival