Early-Stagelungcancertreatmentsevaluatedinpatientswithbreathing Problems

Early-stagelungcancertreatmentsevaluatedinpatientswithbreathing problems

_____Site name______isseekingpatientsforaclinicalstudyto determinethebesttreatmentforpatientswithearly-stagelungcancerwhoalsohavebreathing problems.

Manypatientswithearly-stagelungcancerhaveemphysema,pulmonaryhypertensionor

otherbreathingproblemsthatlimittheirtreatmentoptions.

Thestudyfocusesonpatientswiththemostcommontypeoflungcancer,non-smallcell lungcancer.Whenitisdiagnosedearly,thestandardtreatmentissurgery.Buttheoperationis especiallyriskyforpatientswithpoorlungfunction,whooftenhavecomplicationsaftersurgery.

Inthenewtrial,doctorswillcompareatypeofradiationtherapy,calledstereotacticbody

radiationtherapy,toamorelimitedsurgicalprocedure.Ratherthanremovetheentiresectionof thelung,surgeonswillremoveonlyasmallportion,whichmayreducecomplicationsafter surgery.

Stereotacticbodyradiationtherapypinpointshighdosesofradiationdirectlytothe tumor,whilereducingdamagetosurroundingtissues.Itcanalsobedeliveredinjustseveral treatmentsoversevento10days,comparedtoconventionalradiation,wheretreatmentisgiven oversixtoeightweeks.

Stereotacticbodyradiationtherapyisthetreatmentofchoiceforpatientswithnon-small celllungcancerwhoaretoofrailforanysurgery.Butdoctorsdon'tknowwhetheritisbetter thanthelimitedsurgeryforpatientshealthyenoughforsurgerybutwhohavedecreasedlung function.

"Ourhopeisthatdoctorsandpatientswillembracethiscutting-edgetrialsowecan clarifytheoptimaltreatmentforthisgroupofhigher-riskpatients,"saysstudyco-investigator BryanF.Meyers,MD,chiefoftheSectionofThoracicSurgery."Forveryfrailpatients,wehave

stereotacticbodyradiationtherapy.Forfitpatients,surgerystilldominates.Thistriallooksat peopleonthecuspforwhomwedon'thavecertainty."

Nationwide,anestimated420patientswillbeenrolledinthetrial,whichis sponsoredby theNationalCancerInstitute. Name of Principal Investigator, isthelocal principalinvestigatorofthestudy.Tobeeligible,patientsmusthaveanearly-stage(1Aor selected1B)non-smallcelllungtumorandnotreceivedothercancertreatments.

SitemanCancerCenterwasinvolvedinanearliertrialofstereotacticbodyradiation therapyforearly-stagenon-smallcelllungcancerinpatientstoofrailforsurgery.

"WehaveoneofthelargestU.S.experienceswithstereotacticbodyradiationtherapyfor lungcancer,"saysstudyco-investigatorJeffreyBradley,MD,professorofradiationoncology.

"Itcaneradicatelungtumorsin90-95percentofpatientswithearly-stagecancer,doublethatof conventionalradiationtherapy.Andstereotacticbodyradiationtherapyalsoappearstodouble thesurvivalrateinthesepatients,comparedtoconventionalradiationtherapy.It'sdefinitelya majoradvanceinlungcancertreatment."

Patientsinthestudywillberandomlyassignedtoreceiveeitherthreetreatmentsof stereotacticbodyradiationtherapyoversevento10daysorthelimitedsurgicalprocedure.Over thenextfiveyears,doctorswillevaluatepatients'survivalratesandtheirqualityoflifeafter treatment.

Formoreinformationaboutthestudy,pleasecallclinicalnurseresearchcoordinator,_____Name of Coordinator______atcontact number