Treating Mesothelioma Patients with Chemotherapy Drug Olaparib

What to Expect: Receiving Treatment with Olaparib

Individuals in this clinical trial will be given the drug olaparib. Patients will take it orally 2 times a day with or without food. The study will be completed in 21-day cycles.

During the trial, participants will undergo a complete physical exam. They will also experience blood tests, urine tests, scans, and x-rays. To be a successful candidate in this study, patients must agree to give blood and tissue samples and to complete all exams requested by researchers.

Patients will be able to remain in the study until either their disease progresses or their doctor dismisses them. Individuals will be informed about foods and medications to avoid during their participation. Enrolled participants will also be asked to keep a diary of their doses and symptoms.

Recruiting All Mesothelioma Patients

To be eligible for this clinical trial, a patient must have a confirmed diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. An individual may have any type of mesothelioma (pleural, peritoneal, pericardial, or tunica vaginalis).

Patients must have a life expectancy of at least 16 weeks or greater. At the entry of the study, a participant’s disease must be progressive. Individuals must have also participated previously in platinum and pemetrexed-based chemotherapy.

Some patient exclusions include:

• Receiving other investigational agents
• Participating in chemotherapy or radiotherapy 3 weeks prior to the study
• Having other forms of cancer in the last 5 years
• Previous treatment with olaparib
• Still recovering from a major surgery

All participants in the study must be able to swallow pills, considering olaparib is given orally. Patients must not have any known gastrointestinal disorders that can interfere with the absorption of the medicine.

Lead Investigator

Primary investigator of the study is Dr. Raffit Hassan. He is actively involved in researching pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma.

As a senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Hassan plays an active role in developing treatment plans that include targeted therapy, such as immunotherapy.

Dr. Hassan’s previous research involves targeting mesothelin, and it has shown promising signs of improving mesothelioma treatment. He hopes to see the same outcome with olaparib.

For more information about this clinical trial and the National Cancer Institute, please contact Mesothelioma Guide. Our patient advocate Jenna Campagna in available to answer your questions. You can reach her at 888-385-2024 extension 102 or by emailing jenna@mesotheliomaguide.com.