Clinical Trials

Imagine a treatment option that lets you try the latest advances in cancer care, something your current plan might not include.

Imagine a treatment option that lets you try the latest advances in cancer care, something your current plan might not include. For many people with certain blood or lung cancers, clinical trials offer this chance. At Carolina Oncology Specialists, we are proud to offer our patients access to two new active clinical trials that are exploring ways to treat cancer.

 

What Is a Clinical Trial?

A clinical trial is a research study that helps doctors determine whether new drugs or treatment combinations are safe and effective. When you join a clinical trial, you get careful, monitored care and also help researchers learn more about future patients with the same diagnosis. Every standard cancer treatment used today was first tested in a clinical trial.

 

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL)

If you or a loved one has Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) or Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL), you might be able to join the Bellwave clinical trial. Both CLL and SLL are blood cancers that affect the same type of cell, but they occur in different parts of the body. CLL is usually in the bone marrow and blood, while SLL is mostly in the lymph nodes.

The Bellwave trial is studying a new drug called nemtabrutinib. This drug is a targeted therapy known as a Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (BTKi).

In CLL and SLL, proteins called Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinases signal cancer cells to grow and survive. Nemtabrutinib blocks this signal, potentially stopping or slowing cancer cell growth. The drug is taken orally, and researchers are studying how it works on its own and in combination with other treatments.

To join the Bellwave trial, you need a confirmed diagnosis of CLL or SLL and must meet certain requirements. These may include how many treatments you have had before or if past treatments did not work as hoped. During the trial, you will visit the care team regularly for check-ins that may include blood tests, physical exams, imaging scans, or tissue samples. Your doctor will also stay in contact with you after your trial visits are complete, since the study tracks how well the treatment works over time. Your care team at Carolina Oncology Specialists will look at your medical history, talk with you about the possible benefits and risks, and help decide if this trial is right for you.

 

ResQ201A: A Trial for Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

If you have advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and your cancer no longer responds to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, the ResQ201A trial may offer a new option. This phase 3 clinical trial is testing ANKTIVA (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln, also called N-803/NAI). This new drug helps activate and increase the number of natural killer (NK) cells and memory T cells, which are important for the body’s fight against cancer.

In this trial, one group gets N-803/NAI with tislelizumab and docetaxel, while another group gets only docetaxel. Researchers want to see which treatment works better for people whose cancer has grown after earlier immunotherapy. To join, you must be at least 18 years old, have stage IV NSCLC, and your cancer must have stopped responding to a previous immune checkpoint inhibitor. Please note that N-803/NAI is investigational for this use, and safety and efficacy have not been established by the FDA for this indication. Your cancer prognosis may or may not improve by taking part in this study. Your care team will check other requirements to see if this trial is right for you.

Deciding to join a clinical trial is a personal choice, and it’s best to make it with your loved ones and your healthcare team. Clinical trials give you access to treatments that are not yet widely available, along with careful monitoring and organized care. It’s also important to talk openly with your doctor about possible risks, the time needed, and how joining a trial could affect your current treatment plan.

If you have questions about these trials or want to see whether you qualify, contact Carolina Oncology Specialists today to schedule a consultation with one of our specialists.