News
Greenslopes launches Queensland-first lung cancer trial
May 15, 2020
Greenslopes Private Hospital is embarking on its first chemotherapy and radiation therapy trial with Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation and radiation therapy provider Icon Cancer Centre.
The research involves trialling a new drug, Nivolumab, together with chemoradiotherapy to potentially delay the progression of lung cancer in certain patients who have the disease.
Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation CEO, Miriam Dwyer, said: “The new drug we are trialling is a checkpoint inhibitor. The drug is designed to target certain cancer pathways and block them, allowing the immune system to see the cancer cells and do its job of attacking and destroying them.”
Patients involved in the trial will be randomised to receive one of three treatment combinations:
- The first one will include the new therapy drug, alongside chemoradiotherapy, followed up with another immunotherapy drug, known as Ipilimumab for one year.
- The second treatment arm involves patients taking the trial drug during and after chemoradiotherapy for up to one year.
- Participants on the third combination will also be treated with chemoradiation along with a similar immunotherapy drug, known as Durvalumab.
“Basically, we are looking to see if the new drug, either on its own or in combination with the standard of care, will delay disease progression or improve survival rates,” Mrs Dwyer said.
Patients diagnosed with stage three locally advanced non-small lung cancer will be eligible to take part in the trial, which is being run at 110 sites around the world.
Greenslopes is the only hospital in Queensland participating in the study. It is the first time the hospital, research foundation and radiation therapy provider have all been involved in a chemotherapy and radiation therapy trial together.
Cyril Gilbert Cancer Centre Nurse Unit Manager, Michelle Beutel, said: “Since the arrival of Icon Cancer Centre at Greenslopes in 2017, our patients have been able to receive every aspect of their cancer treatment on-site. We are pleased to be building upon that foundation to conduct a combined chemo-radiation trial that allows us to contribute to cancer research.”
Icon Cancer Centre radiation oncologist, Dr Samantha Barbour, said the team at Icon Greenslopes is pleased to provide lung cancer patients with the opportunity to access the latest in cancer treatment.
“We are always looking for new ways to deliver the best care possible for our patients. We are proud to provide the radiation therapy component of this trial, bringing new hope to lung cancer patients alongside Greenslopes Private Hospital and the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation,” Dr Barbour said.
It is expected Greenslopes will recruit up to eight patients for the trial, which is expected to be completed by April 2024.