Cancer Research Programs
UCLA Trials at Cancer Care Associates
For questions please contact our UCLA research nurse,
Sherry at (310) 750-3376
Active Trials
The following clinical trials are available at Cancer Care Associates in coordination with the UCLA Division of Hematology/Oncology. All patients on these trials can be treated at our infusion center in Redondo Beach. The following studies are subject to change by UCLA and the pharmaceutical companies and may not be continually or currently open. The studies are voluntary and all experimental study drugs are provided at no charge. There are precise entry criteria for enrollment because the researchers are attempting to answer a specific treatment question within a specific clinical parameter so not all interested patients will be eligible to participate.
Breast Cancer: Amgen D-CARE. There is great interest in whether drugs that strengthen bone (like Zometa) also reduce breast cancer relapse. Prolia, denosumab, is a new bone strengthening drug from Amgen. It is a novel drug, a RANK ligand inhibitor and interrupts a molecular pathway involved in bone metastasis. All patients will receive standard chemotherapy after breast surgery. A computer will select patients to also receive denosumab.
Breast Cancer: TORI 11, BETH Trial. This study is for HER2 positive patients who have surgery first followed by chemotherapy. All patients receive standard treatment with TCH (Taxotere/Carboplatin/Herceptin). Some patients will be selected to also receive Avastin. The purpose of this study is to see whether the addition of Avastin to the current best standard treatment will result in higher cure rates. Herceptin targets the HER2 protein and Avastin is an angiogenesis inhibitor.
Breast Cancer: TORI/TRIO B07 Trial. This study is for HER2 positive patients who receive chemotherapy first followed by breast surgery. All patients receive standard chemotherapy with Taxotere/Carboplatin. One of three HER2 targeting strategies is selected by computer, either Herceptin, or Tykerb, or Herceptin and Tykerb. The study requires additional biopsies for molecular analysis by UCLA. The purpose of the study is to test which is the superior targeting strategy against the HER2 protein in this setting.
Breast Cancer: TDM 4370 Genentech. Patients who are HER2 positive and who have never received treatment for metastatic disease (first line) or have received only one course of treatment for metastatic disease (2nd line) are eligible. TDM is trastuzumab-DM1, an experimental antibody which is Herceptin (made by Genentech) connected to a novel chemotherapy drug (made by Immunogen). A computer selects either TDM or the combination of Tykerb (lapatinib) and Xeloda. Both treatments are considered very active and this study is to help determine whether there is a superior approach.
Breast Cancer: BOLERO TRIO 19. For HER2 positive patients with metastatic disease who have never been treated (first line). All patients receive Herceptin with Taxol. A computer selects some patients to also receive Everolimus (RAD001), a new chemotherapy directed against MTOR. This study addresses whether the addition of the 3rd drug is helpful in this situation.
Breast Cancer: BiPar 2010 Triple Negative. This is a long awaited study of an experimental treatment for patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer. The breast cancers are negative for hormone receptors and HER2 (triple negative). All patients receive a standard chemotherapy with Gemzar/Carboplatin and some patients are selected to also receive BSI-201. This drug is a small molecule inhibitor of a critical DNA repair enzyme called PARP. A number of studies have already shown that the addition of a PARP inhibitor to chemotherapy is an effective strategy in treating triple negative breast cancer.
Breast Cancer: Novartis TKI. Dovitinib is an oral multi-kinase inhibitor that blocks a pathway involving the fibroblast growth factor receptor. This pathways is important in breast cancer growth and spread. Patients who have metastatic disease and have already received one or two courses of chemotherapy are eligible. This is a phase 2 study in the 2nd and 3rd line setting to test the effectiveness of dovitinib. All patients in this study receive dovitinib.
Breast Cancer: Novartis BestRX. Patients who are HER2 negative are eligible to have biomarker testing on their tissue samples to identify potential targets for future clinical trials. The future of most cancer treatments will depend on finding specific molecular pathways in each individual cancer and then using those results to direct treatment that specifically targets those pathways to prevent cancer growth.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Genetech ABT. Navitoclax (ABT263) is a small molecule inhibitor of BCL2. This drug was designed to induce normal cell death (apoptosis) in leukemic cells. Patients who have never received treatment (1st line) are selected to receive one of three different non-chemotherapy approaches, either Rituxan, or Rituxan with short course Navitoclax, or Rituxan with Navitoclax taken to progression.
Colon Cancer: Enzon EZN2208. EZN2208 is derived from Camptosar (irinotecan) but is much more potent. Patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer are selected by computer to receive one of three different treatment options, either EZN2208, or EZN2208 with Erbitux (cetuxumab), or Camptosar.
Upper Digestive Adenocarcinoma (esophagus and stomach): GSK/TRIO 13. This is a 1st line treatment for patients with HER2 positive adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or stomach that is metastatic or inoperable. All patients receive standard chemotherapy with CapeOX (Xeloda and Oxaloplatin). Some patients are selected by computer to receive Tykerb, a pill that targeting HER2. The purpose of the study is to test whether the addition of a targeting drug will make the chemotherapy regimen more effective.
Upper Digestive Adenocarcinoma (esophagus and stomach): TORI GI-06. A 2nd and 3rd line treatment for patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma who have already received one or two chemotherapy courses. Everolimus (RAD001) in an oral chemotherapy directed against MTOR. This is a phase 2 trial to assess the effectiveness of this new drug.
Head and Neck Cancer: Lilly JXBD. For patients with relapsed or metastatic head and neck cancer for 1st line treatment. Patients receive cetuxumab (Erbitux) or a new formulation of cetuxumab with chemotherapy. The purpose of the trial is to test the relative effectiveness of two different formulations of cetuxumab. Cetuxumab is an antibody directed against the EGFR pathway.
Lung Cancer: CanBas. A 1st line trial for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who have not yet received chemotherapy. All patients receive current best chemotherapy, Alimta/Cisplatin. A computer selects some patients to also receive an experimental drug, CBP501. This drug induces is a multi-kinase inhibitor that stops cancer cell division by interfering with the ability of the cancer to proceed through the normal cell cycle. It falls into a new class of molecular targeting agents called G2 checkpoint inhibitors.
Lung Cancer: Lilly JMHD Pointbreak. This is a 1st line treatment for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who have not yet received chemotherapy. This is a two pronged study that tests best initial chemotherapy and best maintenance therapy. Patients are selected to get either Alimta/Carboplatin/Avastin followed by Alimta/Avastin or Taxol/Carboplatin/Avastin followed by Avastin. Both strategies are considered excellent effective treatments.
Lung Cancer: Novartis Attract-2. This is a 2nd line treatment for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who have already received one type of chemotherapy. All patients receive a standard chemotherapy, Taxotere, and some are selected by computer to receive a targeting agent ASA404. ASA404 is a small molecule vascular disrupting agent and is supposed to damage the blood vessel network within cancers.
Lung Cancer: TORI L-03 Lung SPORE. A 2nd and 3rd line treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer who have previously received chemotherapy. All patients receive Tarceva, an oral targeted drug directed against the EGFR pathway. A computer selects some patients to also receive Faslodex. Faslodex degrades certain receptors and this study evaluates whether the addition of Faslodex will make Tarceva more effective.
Lung Cancer: NovaRX Lucanix. This study is for non-small cell lung cancer patients who have completed one course of 1st line chemotherapy. Patients are selected by computer to receive Lucanix, a lung cancer vaccine. The vaccine is made from gene modified lung cancer cells and is given by injection into the skin monthly. The study purpose is to test whether the vaccine can slow or halt the progression of lung cancer.
Melanoma: Lilly JZAO. Patients with metastatic melanoma are eligible if they have already received one course of chemotherapy. This is for 2nd line treatment with either Taxol or an experimental drug tasisulam. Tasisulam is supposed to activate programmed cancer cell death by blocking the intrinsic mitochondrial-mediated cell death pathway. This is a randomized study and a computer will select between the two treatments.
Pancreatic Cancer: TORI PA-01. This is for patients who have had surgery to remove the pancreatic cancer (adjuvant). The standard treatment is to receive Gemzar (gemcitabine). A computer selects some patients to also receive Sprycel (dasatinib) which is a targeted treatment against the Src pathway. The purpose of this study is to test if Sprycel can improve the cure rate after surgery.