July 7, 2003
Lung Cancer Drug Being Studied At IU Cancer Center
INDIANAPOLIS - The effect of a new drug that may inhibit the growth
or spread of the most common form of lung cancer is being tested at the
Indiana University School of Medicine.
In the clinical trial, Erbitux® is being given to individuals with
advanced non-small cell lung cancer, who have previously been treated
with chemotherapy. Erbitux is administered intravenously once a week.
Nasser Hanna, M.D., the principal investigator for the trial, said recent
announcements showed the drug to have a favorable response in patients
with colon cancer. The IU Cancer Center is one of only six sites in the
nation conducting the Phase II trial.
Erbitux is an antibody that blocks a receptor on cells. The receptor
adheres to a naturally occurring growth factor, which is over-produced
in lung cancer cells. When absorbed into the cells, it results in the
spread and survival of cancer cells in the lungs. Erbitux is a member
of a class of drugs called epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors,
which has therapeutic effects in lung and other cancers.
Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 80 percent of all lung cancers
and is the leading cause of cancer-related fatalities in the United States.
In the U.S., 170,000 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed each year
and there are 157,000 deaths caused by the disease.
Participants in the clinical trial must have advanced non-small cell
lung cancer, have had at least one prior chemotherapy regimen and be in
generally good health.
For additional information about the trial, contact Deborah Estes, R.N.,
at 317-278-6599.
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Media Contact: Mary Hardin
317-274-7722
mhardin@iupui.edu
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