Marquette hospital seeks lung cancer patients for nationwide

[dadstimeon]

http://www.ironwooddailyglobe.com/0110drug.htm

Published Wednesday, January 10, 2007 4:47:33 PM Central Time

MARQUETTE -- The Marquette General Cancer Center is participating in a nationwide clinical trial to test a new drug in lung cancer.

The ATLAS study will focus on lung cancer patients whose tumors cannot be treated with radiation or surgery.

Patients who may be eligible for enrollment in the trial are those with "locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic, non-small cell" lung cancer.

Marquette General is the only institution in Upper Michigan and northeastern Wisconsin to make this clinical trial available to local patients.

Eligible patients will receive four cycles of chemotherapy and bevacizumab. After four cycles, participants who do not have disease progression will be randomly sorted into either a bevacizumab plus erlotinib or bevacizumab plus placebo group.

It is estimated that approximately 1,200 patients nationwide will be appropriate for the trial, and Marquette General is seeking to enroll a minimum of 10 patients.

To enroll in this trial, patients must be referred to one of the medical oncologists at Marquette General Hospital.

For more information, contact the Marquette General Cancer Center research department at (906) 225-3467, or (800) 562-9753, extension 3467, or visit the Marquette General Web site at mgh.org/cancer